Innocence Purged
by Lord Necrotis
Summary: After losing everyone close to them, and unable to find the last Horcrux, H/G delve into the Dark Arts but in order to have a chance at victory certain sacrifices must be made. Dark H/G Time-Travel, Graphic Death, Language Ch.3 Temp. Removed For Rewrite
1. Forged In Flames

**Disclaimer:** The plot is mine, everything else belongs to JK. This story will **NOT **contain slash. **Dark HG **and time travel. First fic...so please flame. Gain strength through adversity and all that.

A/N- I decided to make one large chapter, rather than many small ones to get H/G into the past, sorry for the inconveinence.

Chapter 1: Forged In Fire

oooooooooo: Present

The room would be covered in darkness if not for the low, flickering light of the candle on the desk in the corner of the small spartan room. To the casual passerby it would seem that the only occupant of the room was the woman who sat in the chair, pouring over the ancient tome lying in front of her. Her face cast in the light showed only a single minded determination of one who knew that nine years of research, delving into the darkest secrets of magic, was reaching it's culmination. Checking through the theories and arithmantic calculations for what would be the seventh and final time, she once again reached the same conclusion that the previous six resuts had stated. The ritual was complete, and ready to be put into motion.

She glanced up at the movement in the doorway, "It's ready."

"Good, we are as prepared as can be expected." came the reply from the man who had just entered the room. His eyes focused not on the speaker, but the two prisoners nailed to the wall in a grotesque parody of a crucifiction. Each in the center of a runic field, drawn on the wall with the blood of their comrades.

Once the sacrifices were made, the runes would open the gateways of time. They would enter their own runic circles, which would guarantee that they would not move on to the afterworld. And once inside the circle they would cast the killing curse, and once their souls were free of the anchors chaining them to the mortal world, they would enter the gates.

Standing there now, on the brink of performing the most complex and powerful magic to ever be created, Harry and Ginevra Potter could only think of how it all started. Thirteen years, and so many decisive events to get here. To reach this one chance of victory.

oooooooooo: Thirteen Years Ago

Harry Potter was still reeling from the conversation with Ron's Auntie Muriel when Hermione took her seat. Vaguely sensing that he was being addressed, he was about to respond when a flash of silver caught his eye. There in the middle of the wedding reception stood a Patronus he had never seen previously. He did not have to wait long to discover who had conjured the lynx, as Kingsley Shacklebolt's booming voice rang out over the crowd as slow and clear as that of a death knell.

"The Ministry has fallen, Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

No sooner had the message been delivered, with the Patronus just starting to fade, were Harry and Hermione on their feet. Wands out, searching the crowd that seemed to have grown with a sudden multitude of pops and swirling black robes, for the face of their friend. It was a task that was proving to be daunting in the writhing mass of chaos that until moments before had been energetic, yet controlled.

"Ron, Ron!" the desperation in Hermione's voice was clearly evident, and almost as if that mere fact had summoned him, Ron was by their side. Wasting no time Hermione reached out to get a hold of them and started to turn on the spot. It was at that moment just before the sensation of being forced through a rubber tube overtook them that Harry saw a blur of white make contact with Hermione.

ooooooooooo

There was no questioning it, Ginevra Weasley was getting annoyed. She had spent the last half hour trying her hardest to get over to her 'Cousin Barny'. She had her dress cut low just for him, and she had seen the look on his face long before that bint Muriel ever opened her mouth. Which had the undesired effect of insuring everyone else was aware of it as well. So every time she finally begged off dancing with the extremely effective, "I'm tired." She would be no more than a meter closer when she would be intercepted by another...well let's say unappreciated dancing partner.

No more though, for she now had a direct path to her target. So it was when she was no more than five strides away from her unsuspecting prey, bearing down on him silently and with the look and gait of the greatest hunting cats in the world, that the spectre of a very real hunting cat entered everyones life that evening and brought true chaos with it. As soon as she heard that damning message she knew that she would never get that dance that she had been craving so poignantly. She knew that the three of them were going to be leaving once the wedding was over and had been wracking her mind in an attempt to come up with some way to join them. Exactly what they were doing was unknown to her at this point, and she truly doubted that they would included her unless she could find a way to take the decision out of their hands. With that thought foremost in her mind she made her choice and dashed forward closing the distance just as Harry and Hermione located Ron. Driving herself with the urgency of not wanting to be left behind she felt her hand close on Hermione's shoulder just in time to be pulled through a darkness that was at once repulsive to her, and oh so much more satisfying.

oooooooooo

As soon as two of the four refugees felt their feet come into contact with the unyeilding surface of the earth they had their wands drawn and pointing directly in the face of the person that had attached themselves to the trio as they had fled The Burrow. Only to be stopped dead in their tracks by the realisation that not only was the person not a Death Eater, but it was someone that they knew. It was painfully obvious that neither knew what to say due to the numerous amount of thoughts running through their minds. Indeed, it was all they could do to stand there in shock. However, the third member of the party who had just turned around was not afflicted with this problem.

"Ginny?" came the querilous tone of Ron, confusion etched into every aspect of his features. That look was soon replaced by rage as lightning flashed within the depths of his eyes. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

As the anger in his voice broke over her like a tsunami making landfall, it broke Harry and Hermione out of their trances and they quickly stored their wands in the pockets of their robes scanning about to see if any muggles had noticed them.

"Well I should think that would be obvious Ronald!" Ginny retorted pulling herself up straight, with defiance in her eyes and sarcasm dripping from her tongue. "I'm here because I will not be shuffled into a corner while the people I love go out and face danger."

"It doesn't matter you are going home right now." Ron growled, a deep bestial sound escaping him.

Whatever response Ginny had to that statement was cut short by the soft whisper of, "She can't"

Immediately three heads and six pairs of eyes fixed on Harry whose face was locked in a rictus of fear, and anguish.

"And why not? She needs to be somewhere safe, she needs to be home...I-I mean thats why you broke it off for fucks sake!" Ron's voice was gradually becoming louder.

"Ron...keep your voice down, and watch your language." snapped Hermione in an undertone that still had the desired effect of quieting the emotional redhead. "It's obvious why she can not go home..." at his continued look of confusion she rolled her eyes and in an exasperated tone of voice said "Death Eaters are at your house and they know by now that Ginny is missing."

"Look I'm here and that is not going to change, but instead of standing around talking about it don't you think we should get off the street and figure something out somewhere a little less conspicuous?" Ginny asked with the tiniest trace of apprehension in her voice.

"That is the best idea I have heard all night." was the weary and resigned response from Harry and the other two could only nod their head's in agreement.

"So where are we?" Ron asked as they started moving down the street.

"Tottenham Court Road," came Hermione's whispered reply. "It was the first place that came to mind, besides I think that we are rather more safe here among the muggles."

"Turn into the next alleyway."

"Why?" the confusion in Ron's voice was evident.

"Honestly Ron, look at you and Harry, the two of you are not exactly inconspicuous."

"I realize that, it's just that we don't have any other clothes, and running around starkers coud hardly be called inconspicuous."

"I have everything packed in here." Hermione held up her small beaded bag for them to see.

"She's cracked... gone loopy... turned into a nutter!" the tone of Ginny's voice mirroring the expressions of their male companions.

"No, no, no... I've put an Undetectable Extension Charm on it." was Hermione's indignant response as her face flushed from embarrassment. "It was tricky but I think I managed to do it properly. It's been packed for a while just in case we had to make a quick getaway."

"You're brilliant." came the rejoinder of three awed voices.

By this time they had reached the mouth of the alley and started to make their way deeper into the shadows to give them protection from the glances of anyone who may pass the alley.

Reaching into the bag to retrieve the clothing, while Harry and Ron removed their robes, they discussed the next course of action that they should take.

"We need to find somewhere to stay." Hermione said looking at the other three for ideas.

Ther was silince for a few moments as Harry and Ron finished changing, and they all ran through the different places they could go in their minds before Harry said.

"Grimmauld Place"

"We can't, Snape knows where it is." was the quick reply from Hermione.

"Snape is still one man, and there are four of us. If he shows up we can capture him, but Grimmauld Place has wards against him that Moody set up. So I doubt that even if he did show up, he could get through."

"Well I suppose you're right." agreed Hermione though the uncertainty in her voice was still clear to everyone.

"So it's agreed we'll go to Grimmauld, in the meantime let's get some food."

"What, we haven't eaten since this afternoon." Ron cried as everyone looked at him with amusement.

"Well there's a small diner down the road, I suppose we could go there before we go to Grimmauld."

And with that they started to make their way towards the exit of the alley. They had taken no more than a few strides however when two Death Eaters apparated in front of them with two loud cracks. Immediately firing off two stunners at the surprised teens who had just enough warning to jump out of the way.

Not wasting any time Harry and Ron raised their wands and bellowed, "Stupefy". The twin beams of crimson struck the wizard on the left with enough force that he was lifted off his feet and thrown head first into the unyeilding brick wall. They all stared in abject horror as the sound of crushing bone washed over them, as brain matter was forced out of the Death Eater's ears as his skull collapsed upon itself from the impact with the wall.

The remaining Death Eater in a towering fury over the death of his comrade, turned back to the four teens screaming.

"Avada Kedavra"

Fate it would seem, was once again with them as the rushing bolt of green death sped straight down the center of the alley missing all four by a hairs breadth. Later, when discussing what happened none of them could be sure whether it was the fact that they had just seen those that they loved coming so close to death. Or if it was the fact that they themselves came so close to entering oblivion, all that they could becertain of is that they all spun on the spot screaming.

"Sectumsempra"

And with those words four identical scythes of dark magic converged on the torso of the Death Eater causing him to briefly be surounded by an aura of dark mist as bone, organs and entrails spilt out on the pavement and he collapsed back onto the ground with the twisted remains of what was once his chest.

"H-how did they find us?" Ginny asked with horror at the sight of what they had just done lying in an ever growing pool of blood. The others could only shake their heads in confusion, as their faces became paler with the realization that they had all taken their first lives. And then with a thunderstruck look Hermione stared at Ginny.

"The Trace, we have to get to Grimmauld, the Fidelius will still keep us safe from it." and without waiting for any response she took hold of the younger girl and Disapparated with a soft pop.

"Well let's not keep them waiting." and with twin cracks Harry and Ron left the alley and the corpses of their enemies to be discovered moments later, by a group of drunken muggles.

oooooooooo

Upon arriving at Grimmauld Place, Harry and Ron turned just in time to hear a startled voice cry out.

"We didn't kill you!" entering the house immediately with his wand at the ready he scanned the room, but seeing nothing he looked to Ginny for an explanation. "I think we found the safeguards Moody set up."

Nodding in acceptance of the explanation Harry led the others to the kitchen to look for food and discuss that days developments.

"Well before any of you try and start in on me for coming, I'm just going to say that what's done is done and being upset about it isn't going to help so deal with it." this was said in such an imperious voice, and with a look so reminiscent of Molly Weasley they just settled for glowering. "Good, now since that is out of the way why don't you guy's tell me what's going on."

And so they did, they talked about the Horcruxes, and how they were going to prepare to find them. They bounced around ideas of how they would be able to destroy them now that the Sword of Gryffindor was well out of their reach, but could not come up with any ideas as they wereunaware of thefew ways that they could be destroyed. They also determined that the best way to be prepared was to study while they tried to figured out where the Horcruxes could be. It was agreed that while they would all begin studying Defence, they would also have to learn more about the healing side of magc as well

"We need to learn healing spells, we are in the middle of a war, dead center in fact. It would be foolish to think that we won't get hurt at some point so we need to be prepared for that."

"Yes, that's something I had been thinking of as well, and I think that you should be the one to go more in depth with that since you won't be able to leave until the Trace breaks. That way we can all deal with moderate injuries, but we can get back here to you so you can deal with the more life threatening injuries." Hermione said looking at Ginny who could only nod her agreement to that logic even though it was more than obvious she didn't like the idea of them going into danger without her.

The conversation started to trail off at this point as the fatigue of the days events settled over made the four realizewith a start that it was already early morning, and not wanting to be alone with their own thoughts, Hermione's suggestion that they stay together that night was eagerly accepted.

oooooooooo

Harry awoke the next morning feeling as if his head had been split with a cleaver, the dream of Voldemort already slipping from his like water through seive, clenching his eyes and jaw against the pain in an effort to maintain silence, he waited until the worst of the effects had passed before opening his eyes. Only to meet three pairs of concerned eyes. 'Well, this is going to be fun', was Harry's only thought as he rolled into a sitting position with a groan for the conversation that he knew was about to occur. Never one to disappoint Hermione launched the first salvo.

"The connection is still open, isn't it!" the accusation in her voice left no doubt that it was a statement. "Dumbledore wanted you to close it for a reason, it's dangerous..."

"Yeah, well Dumbledore isn't here is he?" interrupted Harry with a beligerent look on his face. "This is one of the only ways that we're going to know what Voldemort is up to, look at..."

"Quiet!" the ferocity of the look and tone that she gave Harry made him physically recoil from her. "When Dumbledore died everyone who knew the location of Grimmauld Place became a secret keeper. That means if he enters your mind he can get the information from you and be able to get here. I don't think I need to tell you what will happen after that."

"But Dumbledore also said that Voldemort was employing his Occlumency against me." defended Harry.

"Yeah, that's why you just woke us with you're screaming." came the scathing response from Ron who wasn't to thrilled with the idea of his sister and Hermione being in more danger because his friend didn't want to see reason.'Time to drive the point home'was his thought at Harry's surprised look. "You're relying on the evil bastard that's been trying to kill you for you're entire life to protect your mind, yeah that's intelligent."

Harry was casting around his mind furiously, searching for a reason to refute the logic of his friends, grasping for an answer to keep the connection open.

"They're right Harry, and you know it." Ginny's voice was so soft that he almost didn't register what she he looked at her the fear and concern that he saw in her eyes detroyed all of his remaining resistance. She wasn't done though, she had seen the fight leave his eyes leaving only defeat, and knew that she had to give him something to replace that defeat. "But you need to learn Legilimency just as much." The looks of shock she received had her fighting to hold in her laughter.

"Why would Harry need to learn legilimency?" the confusion in Hermione's voice made it seem as though it was someone else that was speaking.

"Because once he learns to protect his mind, and to invade another's, he will be able to use the connection to try and discover Voldemort's plans without worrying about the counter-attack that would follow. We would all be protectedand have a weapon at our disposal that would be vital to our efforts."

"Well, I think that it would benefit all of us to learn. You-Know-Who isn't the only one we'll be facing who can perform legilimency, but I doubt all of his Death Eaters know occlumency." said Ron who was thinking about the strategic advantage that this would give them.

"Good, we'll start after we eat, you guys go and get your shower's while Ginny and I start breakfast." the sight of Hermione shooing the two men out of the living room like children was more than Ginny could take,amusement bubbled up inside her and exploded into peals of laughter which was soon joined by Hermione's as she realized what she had done. Wisely deciding to ignore the two girls Ron and Harry continued out the door grumbling under their breath.

oooooooooo

Once they were out of the room Harry told Ron to go on and get his shower first saying he wanted to go and look around Sirius' room. Twenty minutes later this was where Ron found him, holding a letter.

"Hey, mate. Shower's free now." it was at this point that Ron noticed the odd expression on his friends face. "What's wrong?"

"It's a letter written by my Mum." holding out the piece of parchment for Ron who after scanning the contents of the letter let out a slow whistle.

"Well get a shower and we'll talk to the girls and see what they think." A nod was the only response he received. Standing up and exiting the room with Ron behind him Harry glanced at a sign on the door to his right that he had never paid attention to before, and stpped dead in his tracks. The unexpected stop of his friend had Ron twisting in mid-step to avoid a collision, which had the spectacular result of him fallingright on his...pride.

"Bloody hell mate, what 'cha stop for?" looking to Harry who was still staring in shock at the door. "Harry!"

This had the desired result of snapping him from his trance, "We found him."

"What? Who?"

"R.A.B.," said Harry who was pointing at the sign."Regulus Arcturus Black."

oooooooooo

An hour laterhad four stunned teenagers standing around the kitchen discussing the implications of Kreacher's tale.

"We can't let Dung know what we want, we have to learn legilimency so we can get it out of him without his knowledge." Hermione said slowly. "Especially after what happened when we went to get Harry from the muggles."

"True, he can't be trusted to evenhave an idea of what we want. It might get back to Voldemort somehow."slamming his fist on the counter Harry yelled, "Damn it. Even once we do learn to block and invade minds we're going to have to track him down just to find out where it is. Then we have to figure out how to get it."

"Well we better getstarted then." the determination in Ginny's voice made Harry realize just how glad he was that she was there, and with this thought he felt his own determination solidify.

oooooooooo: Three Months Later

Over the last three months, the training in Occlumency and Legilimency had gone well, or at least as well as can be expected when you have four individuals who have absolutely no training whatsoever in the mental disciplines required to master the techniques employed when using the Mind Arts. It had been a slow tedious process in the beginning, that is until Hermione was able to master Occlumency just after a month of training, and Legilimency about two weeks after that. It was at this point that everyone was able to make progress in leaps and bounds under her patient and in depth instructions. And once Ginny had both mastered after two months, they were able to get Harry and Ron trained and proficient in just an extra week and a half.

It was also during these training sessions that Hermione discovered another set of memories. Memories that belonged to Lord Voldemort, she was only just able to access these memories before she was thrust out, instead of coming back to Grimmauld Place though as she had expected she found herself back in Harry's mind. The other memories were blocked to her, which meant that those memories were employing Occlumency against her. After she informed the others of her discovery they tossed around ideas of what it could mean. It was Ron that came up with the theory that Harry could be a Horcrux, which once said, Harry knew instictively was the case. None of them knew what to make of this latest developement nor did they think of a way to be able to get rid of it. Finally, they decided to push it to the back of their minds speculating that once they were done learning their Occlumency, and training for their destinies.

That was two and a half weeks ago, and in that time they had spent their time learning different ways to conceal, and disguise thereselves as well as learning various charms to help track down others. This was all in preparation for their hunt of Mundungus Fletcher. Once they were sure that they had all mastered the Mind Arts, Harry had called Kreacher to them and asked him to locate Dung, rationalizing that it would be easier to make the snatch and grab if they had a location in which to start from. Due to the length of time in which the old house-elf had been gone however, Harry and the others were starting to doubt that Kreacher would be able to pull it off, despite his assurances to the contrary.

So on this day, exactly three months since they had learned of the fate of Regulus Black, they were ranged around the table discusing likely places to begin the search that Kreacher returned, bearing a gift for his Master. The thief Mundungus Fletcher.

oooooooooo: Two Months Later

Spellfire was flying in all directions, the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic was no longer the symbol of strength and unity that it had represented at one time. Now it was just another battlefield. Bodies lying strewn about the floor as what seemed like half of the ministry was trying to capture the witch and two wizards that had for unknown reasons penetrated the defenses of the ministry building. One of the wizards had been seperated from his compatriots and was desperately fighting a rear-gaurd action trying to buy the time necessary for his fellows to escape.

"RUN, GET OUT! NOW!" bellowing in fury and dodging two incoming curses and parrying another three with an opaque blue sheild, Ronald Weasley returned fire with a whip of flame that brought four men to the ground with burns that he took a perverse pleasure in knowing that no amount of healing would save them from. Shifting his weight and glancing out of the corner of his eye he saw Harry drag Hermione through the Floo, and with the knowledge that his brother and beloved were safe he looked around and took in the situation. Ranged in a semi- circle around him cutting off any hope of escape were over a dozen Aurors. Readying himself for his last stand, and hoping that he could get off at least two more shots he gathered himself to make his move.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" screeched a voice that he could have gone without hearing for the rest of his life, an admittedly short life he thought with a wry grin, chuckling to himself at his rather morbid sense of humor.

Pushing through the crowd of Aurors was a woman that filled him with more disgust and loathing than he had ever felt for anyone save perhaps Draco Malfoy. Looking at the short, squat and utterly foul creature before him.

He put on his best mocking smile and said in a voice dripping with malice and scorn, "Why Madam Umbridge, how kind of you to join me in the last minutes of my life."

"Now, now Mr. Weasley there's no need for you to die. You are after all a Pureblood, as well as an outstanding wizard in your own right. Why, all anyone need do is look around to know that. All we need is for you to tell me where Potter and the Mublood have-"

As soon as Ron heard Umbridge call Hermione a Mudblood he knew it was his moment, there was no hesitation, only a feeling determination into which he channeled all his rage, anger, and hate into. He raised his arm so swiftly that it appeared as a blur to the onlookers.

"SECTUMSEMPRA" he watched with glee as his curse tore through the womans body cleaving the womans head in two and continuing down to the right shoulder where it cleanly removed her right arm as well. Then just as the Aurors were snapping out of their shock he cast one final spell, hoping and praying that he would be able to get it off in time. Aiming at the ground at the feet of the Aurors he bellowed "BOMBARDA MAXIMA" and was rewarded with the sight of the ground exploding and seeing the sharp and jagged peices of marble flooring shredding nearly half of those caught within it's range, before green light and darkness took him.

oooooooooo

It had been four months since the raid on the Ministry, four months since Ron had given his life in order to buy enough time for Harry and Hermione to escape. Yet the spectre of death still seemed to linger in the atmosphere, an almost tangible prescence that had the three remaining occupants of 12 Grimmauld Place in a state of lethargic depression. Although Ginny and Harry had already come to terms with the death of their brother, even though it still hurt them to think of it, their pain came from watching Hermione fold in on herself. Neither could remember the last time that she had spoken aloud directly to either one of them. In truth the only times they heard her voice anymore was when she would come down to grab a bit food while muttering under her breath, before once again disappering into the depths of the Black family library. After they had returned that day Hermione had collapsed into Ginny's arms, her sobs of grief were so desolate that Ginny had been shocked that anyone could feel such anguish until her mind caught up with her, and realized exactly why her sister had returned in the state that she had. Harry for his part had moved to a corner of the room and stared into his hands as all of his emotions swirled within him and mixed into a maelstrom of loss and despair that he had not felt even when Sirius had fallen through the veil. The next morning Harry woke up to find himself in the chair that he had been in the night before, with Ginny curled up in his lap with her head resting on his chest, the streaks of dried tears still plainly visble on her face. Glancing around the room for Hermione he saw that she to was awake and was looking at him with a manic gleam in her eyes.

"I'll kill them you know." Those were the last words that she spoke to anyone. That had been four months ago, she had just stood up and walked up the stairs and sequestered herself amongst the leather and parchment of the library and ignored all of the attempts of the others to draw her from her self imposed exile. That is until today. Harry and Ginny were sitting around at the kitchen table finishing the meal that Kreacher had prepared for them discussing, as had become their custom, different threads of conversation that might be able draw Hermione out of her stupor when the subject of their conversation came bustling into the room with an energy that had not been seen since before the death of Ron.

"So have either of you come up with an idea as to what our next possible move should be?" Now you might expect them to shout for joy, and give thanks to Merlin that their friend had seemingly returned to them. But as they had been trying and consistantly failing do achieve this very objective for so long, it only served to deliver them into a stunned and confused silence about the complete turn around she was displaying. Glancing at the two younger teens and seeing the bewidered expressions that graced their faces she continued in a brisk voice, "Well even if you haven't I have, but seriously I don't know what you could have been doing with yourselves for all that time, after all you can only have sex so much." This last portion was added with a sly glace and a smirk reminiscent of Malfoy when he knew something that you didn't.

"I....but, eh well...." sputtered Harry trying to come up with a response, only to be interupted by Ginny who had an equally self-satisfied grin on her face. "Well, it is one of the best methods to deal with.....excess emotions."

"What I was just kidding!" Came the swift response from a shuddering Hermione who, from the look on her face didn't expect her joke to be true. "Anyway, as far as I can see we have two options." Came the rushed attempt to get away from the conversation that she had no desire to get into.

"Hey, what's with the look and, shudder?" came Ginny's indignant interjection. So with a look of long suffering exasperation Hermione replied, "Would you want to know what Bill and Fleur got up to, or any of your other siblings for that matter?"

"Okay, point taken. Now you said something about options." Ginny said with a nauseated look.

"Yes, first we need information about what's been going on so we can either go out and scout around trying to pick up whatever tidbits of information we can, or we or we can capture one of the Death Eaters that has been watching the house for Merlin knows how long now."

"We are not going to try and capture a Death Eater!" Harry replied with an emphatic shake of his head. "There's to much that could go wrong."

"I'm aware of that, but before you completely discount that option think about this. It would take longer staying out hoping to pick up any useful information, while constantly worrying about the possibility of being discovered. On the other hand we could surprise the Death Eater and subdue him quickly, bring him inside and question someone that we know would have more of an idea about Voldemort's movements."

"Yeah, but even if we did that there's no Death Eater that would betray Tom while he's still in power." Ginny said with a thoughtful expression on her face. "I mean we could obviously use legilimency, but if he happens to be one of the Death Eater's that knows Occlumency we're buggered."

"True, which is why I have a cauldron full of Veritaserum in my room right now. And yes I know that an Occlumens can overcome the effect of Veritaserum, I doubt even Voldemort could withstand an attack from a proficient Legilimens while under it's effect."

"That's true, but I still think that we should at least try and take the longer road first. We'll just have to make sure that we're even more careful, besides we might have the opportunity to capture one away from here which would have the added benefit of not bringing this location under even closer scrutiny."

"Alright, but we should give ourselves a time frame, I say three weeks."

"Agreed"

oooooooooo

Two weeks after deciding on a course of action Harry and Ginny were sitting around the living room trying in vain not to stare at the grandfather clock resting against the wall as they waited for their bushy haired friend to return. All the while hoping against hope that she would bring some of the desperately desired information that had managed to elude them to date. As their thoughts started to drift to the grim thoughts that only waiting and inaction could bring they heard the front door open on rusty hinges and slam shut with an echo that thundered through the house, followed by footfalls leading to the living room, a room that the both happened to be occupying. Both rose and drew their wands, waiting for their visitor to emerge from the door leading to the entrance hall, which they lowered when they saw Hermione enter, with the stony expression that had become so characteristic for her over the last months gracing her features.

"Alright, I realize it hasn't been three weeks but let's be honest with ourselves we're not getting anything beyond the obvious fact that everyone's to terrified to talk amongst themselves." said Hermione with an impatient gleam coming to her eyes and a voice so thick with contempt for those cowards who would rather be trod on than stand tall and do something meaningful. "Nothing, nothing....none of them could care less so long as it's not them in the direct line of fire." cutting her rant short she looked at the other to and shadows seemed to envelope her face as she prepared to debreif the others on what she had just learned. "Percy's a Death Eater!"

"WHAT!" the screams of outrage were so loud that dust drifted down from the rafters above them. Ginny after her initial outburst fell back into the chair that she had just moments before been sitting in and started to shake her head and mutter denials in a voice that was just barely audible. Harry seeing this went over to offer some physical support by wrapping her in his arms.

"And just how did you come by this information?" the anger lacing his voice would have caused Voldemort to flinch back. This seemed to snap Ginny out of her trance as she fixed the older witch with a peircing stare. This seemed to be the question that Hermione was waiting for as she immediately went into lecture mode.

"I was just about to start leaving Diagon Alley when I saw a large commotion coming from further down the Alley caught my attention. So naturally I started making my way over to get an idea of what was going on, once I got close enough I realized that the crowed was gathered in front of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Hold on, don't interrupt. Well like I said there was a crowd and I couldn't see but I was able to climb on a crate that was nearby, and there was Percy standing next to that Death Eater Yaxley, along with two Auror's who had their wands drawn and aimed at Fred and George. Percy's said something and George screamed, 'Ron had the right idea, you traitorous Death Eater!', all Percy did was laugh and yelled that 'He was nothing but a Blood-Traitor that got what he deserved.'. The look of hate and anger on her face made Harry briefly think of Snape and he suddenly had an odd sense of foreboding.

Taking a steadying breath she looked the other two in the eyes and said in a voice so cold, and so devoid of the heated anger that had been there moments before that it sent shivers throughout their bodies. "I cast the Killing Curse, but unfortunately Percy managed to jump out of the way. Yaxley wasn't so lucky however." the pride in her voice was clearly evident and the others found themselves feeling an odd sense of satisfaction as well.

"What about Fred and George?" Ginny demanded.

"Well, when Percy jumped out of the way he knocked the two Aurors over which gave them time to escape into the crowd. I tried following them to bring them here but just as I was leaving the Alley and was going to call out to them they Disapperated."

"At least they were able to escape, and knowing those two they won't be seen until they decide to be." came Harry's releived reply.

"Thanks to them and Hermione we also have the perfect target for our interrogation as well!" the vindictiveness of Ginny's voice was mirrored by the other two expressions in the room.

oooooooooo: Five Weeks Later

"Rennervate"

Three pairs of eyes watched coldly as Percy Weasley was awoken from his magically induced sleep, and tried to gain his bearings. Taking in the room first, and then in what felt like an eternity to the three who couldn't wait to get the questioning under way, he tried to act as though they weren't there, but soon became accutely aware of the other occupants of the room when a voice cried out.

"Crucio" The spell was held for but a moment when a strong voice called, "Hermione, enough! There will be time for that later."

The brief exposure to the Cruciatus had the effect of getting the pompous fool's undivided attention.

"Percy Weasley, third eldest son of the Weasley's, youngest Junior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, and loyal servant of the Dark Lord Voldemort." Harry spoke in an officious and condemning tone.

Upon hearing the last title given to him all the blood drained from Percy's face, but to his credit he maintained direct eye contact with Harry and gave him a look of contempt before sliding his gaze over Hermione, and finally locking on to Ginny's.

"Ginny, so this is where you've been. Look, I realize that you have had certain feelings for Potter before, but you must understand that he's only using yourelease me and I can return you home." this was delivered in the most wheedling voice that he could muster, and all of them were shocked that he could sound so self assured while he was bound in a chair. A lound humorless laugh from Ginny soon had the other two laughing at his presumption.

"I think that you seem to be laboring under the false misconception that your in control here, Percy!" Harry said.

"So that's it then, you're controlling Ginny, I presume you have her under the Imperius then." this was said in a triumphant voice that had the others rolling their eyes at the sheer absurdity that Harry would have to use an Unforgivable to have Ginny do anything for him. A fact that she herself was just starting to clarify for him.

"Please, all Harry would have to do is ask for me to go bend over that desk so he could take me from behind, and I would do it wholeheartedly. That's hardly having someone under their control, besides if anyone in this house is in control it's me and you're going to find out why that is very soon." Ginny said maliciously.

"Yes, you see I was going to be the one to interrogate you, seeing as how my Kiiling Curse missed you I felt that I should make up for my miss by getting everything you know from that thick skull of yours." and here Hermione got a smirk that rivaled Snape's in cruelty. "But she thought, and I'm sure with you being a Death Eater and all, that you'll apreciate the irony. That blood MUST take care of blood."

After her little speech she started making her way out the door, only to stop just on the other side of the threshold, glance back and say. "Do have fun." and with that she disappeared from sight.

Harry for his part was still gazing impassively at the traitor, and decided to give a little parting information to man. "Just so you know, Ginny has Veritaserum and Legilimency at her disposal so we will get every bit of information we want out of you, so willingly or not you will betray Voldemort. I'm sure you know what happens to those that betray him, but please don't that little detail keep you from enjoying our hospitality." Then he too followed Hermione out the door giving Ginny her chance to take vengeance for the betrayal of her family.

Forty-nine minutes after leaving the room found Harry and Hermione sitting in the kitchen each nursing a glass of firewhiskey, and smiling grimly to each other as the screaming started. As the pain filled screams got louder they began to turn into a rather satisfying type of music to them. A pain filled symphony of agony that half a year ago would have had them wretching, and clamoring to stop. Now however they just sat back and listened to the sweet music of unbridled justice. Five hours and twenty-seven minutes later, the music stopped playing. Only to be followed by the sound of, "Avada Kedavra" and a thump on the ceiling above them.

oooooooooo

Once Ginny arrived in the kitchen it was completely obvious that she had not only accomplished the mission she had set out to do, but she had also enjoyed every bit of it immensly. The satisfied grin that she wore on her face was threatening to split her face in two. The others had grins that came very nearly to matching her own, but there was still a part of them that wondered if they were turning into those that they were fighting. These thoughts were quickly crushed by the knowledge that not only would their enemies not hesitate to do the same to them, but also by the rationalization that the spells they were using were a part of a very powerful branch of magic that the opposition had, so why should they limit themselves to spells that just made no sense to use in an actual combat environment. The short answer was: they shouldn't. If you have to put someone down that wants to kill you make sure they stay down. Besides it's not like they were going to use these spells on the innocent, and so in an unspoken agreement they decided to fully focus on learning the Dark Arts.

"Hermione, I think it's time you retrieve The Secrets Of The Darkest Arts from your bag." said Harry in a somber voice. "We'll have Ginny breif us in the morning after breakfast about what she was able to learn from that sod upstairs. Right now though I think we could all do with some sleep." The two girls nodded their agreements and started to stand when Hermione suddenly burst out into gales of laughter. Harry was looking at her in askance and she said.

"I hope your not to set on sleep because judging by the look on her face I'd say Ginny's going to keep you up for a while."

"Hmm, maybe she's more like Bellatrix than anyone thought." Harry noted with a lecherous look. "Are you into the whole pain thing Gin?"

"Don't make me hex you Potter." slapping his arm lightly.

"There's your answer Harry." Hermione said dashing out of the room before Ginny could bring her wand to bear.

"Shall we head up my Lady?"

"Hmm, let's shall."

The next morning came late as all three didn't leave their rooms until almost noon. Even then the only reason Harry and Ginny got up then was due to Hermione threatening to come in and take pictures to send to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. It was with great effort that they managed to get out of bed in order to start the day, but each felt rejuvinated after a quick shower and headed downstairs into the kitchen where the strong aroma's of breakfast made them realize just how hungry they were after the previous day's events.

"Ginny, what happened to Percy's corpse? I went to get rid of it but I couldn't find it." there was a noticable trace of wariness in Hermione's voice when she asked this.

"Oh" she Ginny said with a smile "Well after I castrated him and carved traitor into his chest I asked Kreacher if he could take the body to Diagon Alley and nail him to the door of the joke shop. Speaking of which...Kreacher."

"Mistress called for Kreacher?"

"Yes, I was wondering if you did that little favor I asked for last night."

"Yes Mistress, it was done as Mistress commanded."

"Lovely, thank you Kreacher."

"Kreacher lives to serve Mistress." and with that he popped out of the room.

"Harry what's wrong? You look awfully pale." Ginny asked in concerned tones

"N..nothing, I'm fine." Harry replied in an oddly high voice.

"Aww Harry, I'm sure Ginny wouldn't ever do something like that to you, well unless you weren't completely faithful."

"Yeah, don't worry you should be fine." said Ginny

As relief spread through his body Harry decided it was time to bring the topic of discussion to a relatively safer subject. "So what did you get out of that bastard anyways?"

Once this question was voiced there was a noticable change in the atmosphere which until that moment had been one of smug satisfaction, and cheer.

"Well, it apperars that we're not the only ones causing a headache for the new administration. Apparantly there is another group of Hogwart's student's out there conducting their own little private campaign against the ministry. Over the past two months there had been reports, all unconfirmed, that someone or a group of individuals have been capturing Snatchers, and freeing they're captives."

"Hold on, what the bloody hell are Snatchers?" asked a confused Harry

"They're a group or more specifically groups of wizards who hunt down any muggleborn's who haven't registered with the Muggleborn Registration Commission. They're also the one's who show up whenever someone breaks the Taboo."

"Taboo?"

"Yes, it's a curse placed on a specific word. It has the unfortunate effect of dispelling any wards surrounding the individual who speaks the Tabooed word. Voldemort has placed his name under the Taboo, according to Percy it has helped with the capture of many members of the Order as they were the main group fighting against him, and weren't to cowardly to speak his name."

"Well that explains why there's constantly been a Death Eater observing the house all this time." said a thoughtful Hermione. "I think we should start refering to him as Tom, if the Death Eaters stop receiving reports of the name being spoken in this area they might assume that we have moved to a different location."

"Sounds resonable to me."

"Me too."

"Okay, so back to the other group of fighters, apparantly they had managed to free over seventy 'fugitives' along with fifteen 'wandless', which is the term that has been applied to muggleborns, and half-bloods who have been convicted by the Muggleborn Commision for failure to be able to prove their blood status. Well this group was doing so well that the Ministry decided that it was time to root out the dissenters. They set up an ambush at a muggle orphanage using the children there as bait, and waited for they're targets to arrive. Four days ago the trap was sprung, they managed to subdue enough Death Eaters to escape but not before Seamus Finnegan, and Dean Thomas were killed in the escape. The Death Eater's were also able to capture a half-blood by the name of Justin Finch-Fletchly who after two hours gave the names of the others in return for a swift death. The others are Hannah Abott, Susan Bones, Luna Lovegood, two people who are always masked and cloaked and their leader Neville Longbottom."

"Merlin, I always knew Neville had it in himself to do it, but damn. Way to go Nev." was Harry's pride filled response. While Hermione's "Well, he was the other possibility for the prophecy." was nothing short of awe.

"Well their efforts will be even more restricted now that the Ministry knows who they are, but I wonder who the two unknowns are. It's obvious they have to have some link with the enemy if they hide their features, hopefully they can be trusted. I'd hate to see Neville betrayed." said Harry

"I wouldn't worry about that too much, if he's the leader then Neville will know who they are and have a reason for operating the way he is." came the reassuring logic of Hermione.

"Yeah you're right. Anything else Gin?"

Nodding her head she continued, "Everyone who had contact with Dumbledore, and all known or suspected Order members are under constant surveillence by the Ministry, which means we can't contact any of them. So for the most part they're safe except..." her voice breaking Ginny bagan to shake as she tried to continue. " It's... it's Remus and Tonks."

"Oh no... they're alive right?" the desperate tone in Hermione's voice caused Ginny to break into anguished sobs and the other two knew the answer. They were gone, and with Remus went the last link that Harry had to his parent's. After a few moments Harry struggled to regain his composure and asked, "How did it happen?"

"Tom ordered Bellatrix to 'get rid of the stain' on her family. So she along with Antonin Dolohov and four others attacked her sister's house, Ted was killed and Andromeda was forced to send a distress call to Tonks. She and Remus showed up within minutes, but they were outnumbered and outmanuevered. Once they were captured Dolohov executed Remus, while Bellatrix tortured Tonks." It was here that Ginny looked at the others and whispered in a horrified voice.

"Tonks was pregnant." neither knew how to react to that news, they could only brace themselves for the rest of the story to unfold. "She was pleading with Bellatrix to spare her for the sake of the baby, but once she found out that she was carrying another life.... she drew a knife and cut the baby out of her stomach before throwing it to the ground and incinerating it. Then she stood there taunting her until Tonks finally passed out from blood loss. When she realized she wasn't going to have anymore entertainment she killed her and left with the other Death Eater's. Andromeda was forced to watch it all, and was left alive to think about the fate of her family as punishment for becoming a blood traitor."

"So that's it, we're losing more and more of the people we care about and we have no leads on the Horcruxes." there was a note of defeat in Harry's voice that terrified the witches more than either cared to admit. It sounded like Harry was on the verge of giving up all hope for destroying Voldemort. They knew he wouldn't quit fighting, but the hope for victory seemed to be gone from his eyes. The fire that drove him forward along the path of resistance seemed to be dying down to a small smouldering remains of what was once a blazing inferno. And Ginny knew that she had to part with her last piece of information, though she knew it was a trap, knowing that they would realize it as well, and knowing that irregardless of that fact they would still go.

"Well I was able to get one other peice of information from him. Percy heard Tom speaking to Snape one day. Snape was being told that he, Tom that is, had dispatched one of his servants to Godric's Hollow to wait for you to show up. So even if Tom isn't aware that we're searching for his Horcruxes, he thinks that there is something there that would cause you to risk exposure to find."

"Well he probably just expects Harry to want to visit his parent's graves." said Hermione.

"No, that's not it at all. Tom doesn't think that way, love is what would force someone to do that, and he doesn't understand love." the fire was blazing once more out of the depths of his eyes. "No, he would never risk exposing himself while being hunted unless he had to it would be foolish. That means there's another reason for it, one that he would personally take a risk for."

"Harry you can't be thinking of actually going, it's a trap and we all know it!" the look on Hermione's face showed that while she didn't like the idea of walking headlong into a trap, she also relished the idea of engaging the enemy.

"Yes, but they don't know that we're aware of the trap, and that is what gives us the advantage. The trap will be sprung, but it will happen at our discretion." Harry was smiling in delight at the idea that he would finally be able to make some progress with the hunt for Voldemort's Horcruxes.

"Well I'll be damned if you both go into a trap without me, and don't interrupt!" Ginny fixed both with a glare. " My Trace breaks in under two months that gives us ALL time to train some more and get a firm plan set into motion. Now let's get started or do I need to press my point?" she asked while withdrawling her wand. As they saw this, both raised their hands in supplication and agreed fully with her plans.

"Good"

oooooooooo: Two Months and Six Days Later

Over the last week the top three Undesirables remaining at large had spent almost all of their waking hours inside, and around the small village of Godric's Hollow. While they had no desire to walk blindly into a trap it was increasingly evident that no matter how much they looked for signs of the ambush, there was nothing to find. Though none of them allowed themselves to be lulled into a sense of complacency by the lack of evidence. On the contrary it served to keep them even more alert to anything that seemed to belong out of place in a sleepy little village. On the downside it also made them realize that whoever the servant of Voldemort was he or she wasn't about to show themselves or reveal themselves until Harry did. So the plan of finding the servant, ambushing and interrogating him or her was altered. This alteration found Harry walking down the sidewalk directly towards the old graveyard behind the local church, with two Disillusioned females following at a discrete distance. It was just as he was reaching for the gate leading into the cemetary that a frail old woman stepped out from behind a large hedgerow and signaled for him to approach.

'Ah, so the servant finally reveals herself.' Harry thought as he made his way towards her, prepared to fire a curse from his Disillusioned wand in an instant. He stopped a meter from her and waited for her to make the next move.

"Hello Harry, I'm Bathilda Bagshot. I've been waiting for you, Dumbledore said you'd come. He left me something to give you, it's just inside my house. Come." the voice was so low that Harry could barely here her over the sound of the wind rushing through the trees surrounding the cemetary walls.

Nodding in response he gestured with his left hand to lead the way, as he felt a slight twinge in his scar. He followed her into a yard that may have been nice at one point, but was now overgrown with weeds and showed no sign of the flowers that had once grown from the earth to accentuate the house it encompassed. Harry however had no intentions of entering the house.

Stopping just before the threshold of the house, while making sure that her body was still providing cover from anyone who could be in the house he made his intentions clear.

"I apologize Ms. Bagshot, but I'm not going inside. Perhaps you should bring whatever item Dumbledore left here to me." Harry was wearing a tight smile on his face as he said this, though he was trying for nonchalant, and the woman seemed to pick up on this as well as her neck seemed to explode and a huge serpent that Harry had seen numerous times and had hoped to never see again, or at least that was his hope before she became one of his targets. Just as the snake was beginning to strike out at him he raised his wand and yelled "Reducto"

The Blasting Charm while seeming to have inflicted no physical damage to the snake, did send it flying through the door of the house and into the darkness of the hall and room beyond. Seeing no other choice Harry and the two witches who were now visible having dispelled their charms, rushed into the house to find and finish the snake.

Upon entering the room from the entrance hall the first thing that they noticed was the piles of dusty and moldering book that were scattered throughout the room like some kind of miniature maze. As Harry started to move forward to begin searching through the piles, Hermione's hand shot out to grab his arm.

"Don't, that thing would be able to jump on us with no warning in this mess." said Hermione, who's eyes were constantly scanning back and forth across the room. Searching for any signs of movement in the books shadowy recesses.

"Then what would you have us do then?" asked Harry with an impatient growl. Just as he was about to shake the grip that the older witch had on his arm, Ginny started launching huge bursts of flame from her wand at the exits that led from the room into other parts of the house.

"There now her escape paths are gone, and her basic instincts will drive her torwards us." Harry and Hermione both sent looks at each other that clearly said 'You should have thought of that.' before turning their attention back to room. They didn't have long to wait as monments later the great serpent that was Nagini made her appearance, prepared to strike out at the teens as she did. Instead of striking however, she found herself dodging three Killing Curses. Hermione seeing the snake's ability to dodge the pinpoint spells, immediately changed tactics and swept her wand in a wide arc before her as a large sheet of acid poured from her wand. This had the desired effect of hitting the snake, which began to writhe on the floor in pain. It's sinuous body seemed to be taking very little damage though, a fact that the others didn't realize until Nagini, having used the twisting movements of her body to coil for an attack, struck out at Harry. Time slowed as the gaping maw of the snake, open wide and with great four inch fangs glistening in the light of the fire's blaze closed the distance between her and her prey.

Harry had been in the process of casting when the snake struck however, and it was with a surge of adrenaline and relief that he saw his Killing Curse swallowed by the snake, the force from the spell redirecting her forward momentum into a whip like movement that sent her flying into the flames. Staring at the spot of the fire that she had been sent into, he was suddenly struck by an idea, an idea that he had that could possibly solve the question of his being a Living Horcrux.

"Quickly, put out the fire." He ordered the other two as he began doing so himself. "We have to know, I have to find out." The two witches sending curious glances at him began stopping the flames from spreading any further, and under their combined efforts had the fire quelled in under a minute. And there, lying among the chared remains of books and furniture was an unmoving Nagini.

"Homenum Revelio" sighing when he didn't receive a response Harry was about to turn away when Hermione's voice stopped him.

"Oh, come on Harry! Homenum Revelio only shows human life, hence the Homenum, the spell I think you want is." taking a breath and pointing her wand at the snake. "Serpentia Revelio"

Seeing her eyes go wide Harry said, "She's still alive isn't she?" Hermione nodded in his direction, a look of utter confusion written across her face.

"Yes I thought, or rather hoped as much." said Harry with a beaming smile on his face.

"Wait you hoped that it was alive? Have you gone mad!" Ginny sputtered with indignation.

"Yes, and no." seeing the bewildered looks on their faces he continued. "Tom has two living Horcruxes, myself and Nagini. The Killing Curse removes the soul from the body. The SOUL, as in singular. Which means..." he trailed off looking at the other two expectantly and was rewarded moments later as understanding washed over both of their faces. "That I'll be able to survive another Killing Curse, and that gives me one more weapon against Tom." looking at Nagini as though she was a gift sent from above he raised his wand and thought, 'Sectumsempra'.

"Harry I think that we should look around to see if we can find anything useful." Hermione said and with a wry grin she finished with. "I don't think Ms. Bagshot will notice."

Chuckling at her dark humor Harry agreed and made his way over to the one corner of the room that hadn't been damaged from the fire. It was there on a small table that he found a book entitled 'The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore', eyes widening in shock he looked up and called the girls to him. Ginny, who had been in an adjacent room came over, saw the title and her eyebrows shot straight to her hairline. "I had forgot about this book being published." was her only statement.

Harry, hearing Hermione enter the room looked up to tell her of their discovery, only to be met with blood red eyes and green light.

oooooooooo

Harry awoke in a white mist, that was shrouding his surroundings completly. As he struggled to his feet the world began to take form around him and he vaguely took note that he was in King's Cross. His main focus however was on the figure in front of him: Albus Dumbledore.

"So I'm dead then, and there I was thinking that I had made some great discovery." the bitterness in Harry's voice was only surpassed by the amount of despair he felt at having failed everyone.

"Oh no my boy, you're not dead." came the annoyingly chipper voice of Dumbldore, who stood there with a large smile and an almost blinding twinkle in his eyes. "As a matter of fact, I would like to compliment you on such an astute conclusion. One that I myself had dismissed as improbable, though not impossible, which is why I tried to leave clues that would lead you to the Deathly Hallows."

"Hold on one bloody minute, you KNEW I was Horcrux, and what are the Deathly Hallows?" the barely controlled fury in Harry's voice was only kept in check by the desire to learn all of the secrets that Dumbledore had known and kept from him in life.

"Yes Harry, I knew what you were which as I said is why I tried to lead you to the Deathly Hallows which are as legend states...."and so for the next fifteen minutes Dumbledore explained the legend of the Hallows and his theory that it would have taken those three artifacts to keep Harry alive were he to be hit by one of Voldemort's Killing Curses.

"So I already have the Cloak and Stone, which is in the snitch you left me. That means I need the Wand." said Harry slowly, the thought of such a powerful weapon in Voldemort's hands was untenable. "You wouldn't happen to know where it is would you?"

"Why yes, it's at Hogwart's. Lying in my shrouded remains, which brings us to another story I'm afraid. One that will not cast me in a favourable light, and one that I fought my entire life to make amends for. It all started with two young, bright wizards by the name's of Albus Dumbledore, and Gellert Grindlewald." throughout the story Harry went from shock, anger, sympathy, back to anger and finally understanding as the greatest wizard he had ever known lay truths at his feet that would have been absurd coming from any other source.

"So I have to defeat Snape in order to gain control of the wand." said Harry with an exultant look on his face.

"No Harry, Draco Malfoy was the one who disarmed me. He is the Master of the Elder Wand, however Severus Snape is not the man that you believe him to be." said Dumbledore who could only smile at the look of confusion and indignation that came across Harry's face. " Which brings me to the last story that I have to tell you. A story that once I tell you will leave no more secrets between us. Severus Snape was...."

If any story that Harry had learned so far had shocked Harry they paled in comparison to what he learned next. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined the reason for Snape to turn sides, nor could he believe that the death of Dumbledore was caused by his own order. It was a tale that seemed to be beyond belief, yet he knew it was true, Dumbledore might have hidden alot of things from him before true. But he had never lied, well except for the time that said he saw himself receiving a pair of socks when he looked into the Mirror of Erised.

"So what happens now?" Harry asked looking at the remains of Voldemort's soul.

"Now you have to choose, Wake up and continue the fight or board the train." Dumbledore replied softly.

With a smirk that would have shamed Malfoy he replied, "Some choice." and with that the world dissolved in front of his face.

oooooooooo

Hermione had just reached the bottom of the steps when she saw the green light of the Killing Curse impact on Harry's chest, and watched as he was thrown through the air with such force that the he went through the wall and came to rest on the back lawn.

"NOOOO!" the anguished scream from Ginny was everything that Voldemort could have hoped for. What he wasn't expecting was the twin scream originating behind him, and as he spun to meet this other threat he heard it shout, "Obliviate" and felt the spell clawing against his mental defences as the strength of the Memory Charm tried to rip away all his knowledge, and memories. However, he was the Dark Lord Voldemort, a master of the Mind Arts since he was a child and his power would not be denied. As he overcame the magic he surveyed to witch that had cast a spell that was so powerful as to almost overcome him.

"GINNY GET HARRY OUT OF HERE!" she screamed and Voldemort was able to place her as Potter's Mudblood.

"Foolish girl, he's already dead his body isn't needed. You however will be granted a great opportunity. I felt your strength in that spell, you're powerful. Almost on the level of Bellatrix, as such I'll give you the opportunity to live. All you need do is kneel before me." Voldemort's voice was hypnotic as he spoke. It was a voice that promised power and authority if she accepted, and a slow tortuous death if she refused. There was no middle ground, so she took the only option before her.

Voldemort watched as Hermione dropped too her knees and held her left arm out to Voldemort, head hanging to her chest, with eyes cast to the ground in submission. Taking in this view Voldemort's smile widened and he approached her raising his wand to her arm to brand her with the Dark Mark. Hermione winced when she saw his feet come into view and once she felt the tip of his wand touch her forearm she rotated her arm around the wand and slapped his wand arm wide while bringing hers to his chest screaming the incantaion for the Bone-Breaking Curse. The sound of his ribs shattering brought a smile of satisfaction to her face as Voldemort sailed through the air crashing into the half burned china cabinet.

Unfortunately, just as Hermione came to her feet preparing to send an Avada Kedavra his way, she realized that Voldemort was already up with his wand at the ready. Hermione was pleased to note that he was holding the right side of his torso with his left hand, which meant that his wand movements would be slower.

"You'll pay for that Mudblood!" Voldemort grated out from between his clenched jaws. He had at least three broken ribs and if the blood rising into his mouth, along with his inability to breathe correctly were anything to go by then one of those ribs had also puntured a lung. This Mudblood bitch was powerful indeed, and she would pay for her presumption.

Hermione seeing the blood leaking from the corner of his mouth filled her voice with all the contempt she felt for the creature standing before her and spat, "Then come and collect, you pathetic Half-Blood!"

And with that final insult they were off. Voldemort in his anger was sticking mainly to the Unforgivables as they didn't require a very large range of motion to cast, this had Hermione having to summon books, and debris from around the room to intercept them as she countered with a wide variety of the Dark Arts in her arsenal, along with many powerful transfiguration spells trying to distract him long enough to land a shot. This went on for about three minutes before Hermione finally ducked around another Cruciatus, sprinted right up to Voldemort and smashed her forehead directly into his face. The resulting spray of blood was impressive as Voldemort's head snapped back from the impact, and as he staggered back Hermione spun her wand in a clockwise motion that caused a huge amount of Fiendfyre to erupt from her wand launching itself at Voldemort who was forced to dive away as the cursed flames scorched his leg. Quickly rolling into a kneeling position he cast, "Petrificus Totalus" just as Hermione was bringing her wand forward with a green light building at it's tip. Her eyes widened as her body snapped to attention and she fell forwards to the ground. Seeing that he finally had her immobilized Voldemort climbed to his feet and made his way over to the powerful young witch, and with a motion of his wand she was suspended in the air before him.

"You fought well, but you should have known that I would win. Lord Voldemort always triumphs. However, I won't kill you. No, I'm going to leave you to your own creations." this was said as he gestured to the creatures that were just beginning to take shape in the blazing hellfire that Hermione had created. "Die well." and with that he walked out of the house with as much dignity as his injuries would allow to watch from the street as the house was engulfed.

oooooooooo: Two Years Later

The death of Harry Potter was proclaimed widely after Voldemort had left Godric's Hollow, and it served to make the remaining pockets of resistance to Voldemort's rule fade into nothing, so with the death of the only person with the power to defeat him Voldemort without fear of reprisal finally openly declared hiself as Lord Voldemort, Ruler of the British Isles. From that point only Neville Longbottom's coterie of freedom fighters would openly fight against his rule. Neville however appeared on Potterwatch to make bold statements of Harry's continued survival, but no one was sure if it was just wishful thinking or if he had personal knowledge of Harry's continuing existance. Knowing that Voldemort would have made a public display of the body of Harry Potter he insisted, while taking a great leap of faith by stating he had personal knowledge. These reports were heard by the duo and they decided to try and make contact, in their bid to bring about Tom's death, they didn't realize that objective would be almost as difficult to achieve as the Horcrux hunt.

Harry Potter and Ginevra Weasley had finally managed to make contact with Neville Longbottom, and his forces. They had been attempting to do so for the better part of the two years since Hermione's death, as whatever tactics Neville was employing were remarkably similar to those of Harry and Ginny. Each element of the resistance had heard about the other's exploits from Potterwatch over the intervening years and it was Neville saying that this other group was actually Harry and Ginny, however no matter what they tried neither could seem to get to the scene of the other's raids in time to make contact. It finally had been nothing more than chance that the groups had run across each other. Both had gotten information about a festival that many of the remaing Inner Circle were said to be attending.

The information was a carefully planted trap that would have ended up with Neville and his team being wiped out, had an Elder Wand weilding Harry Potter and a vengeful Ginny Weasley not arrived and turned the tide by cutting through the Death Eaters with amazing skill and ferocity, they were too late however to save Susan Bones, and Hannah Abbott who they later discovered had married Neville. From that point on Neville and his group of fighter's relocated to 12 Grimmauld Place while planning their operations to work in conjunction with the other's. They decided to make it look as if they were still working independantly of each other, to keep the enemy forces spread out and looking for attacks from multiple attacks rather than single concentrated attacks.

It was small comfort to those living under Voldemort's rule that Neville's forces had managed to capture some of the most vicious Death Eaters, who in turn were always found dead the day after their capture, showing signs of brutal torture with a single hole in their head's from a Muggle weapon. The irony that their end was met at the hands of a weapon created by those they proclaimed themselves superior to was not lost on anyone.

The most prestigious of those Death Eaters to be executed by Neville's group were: Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange along with Lucius Malfoy, Thorfinn Rowle, and Amycus Carrow. The day that Lucius Malfoy was captured Narcissa and Draco Malfoy also diappeared. At first many people thought that they were being held captive by the group, this was disproven though the next day when in front of a crowd of over twenty people Lucius Malfoy was Apparated in front of The Leaky Cauldron by one of the hooded men of Neville's group, forced to his knees and shot in the back of the head. The cloak was then taken off, and the crowd screamed in amazement as Draco Malfoy renounced the Dark Lord and Apparated out of sight. The next time he was seen he was fighting shoulder to shoulder with Neville against Voldemort himself.

Harry and Ginny while still listening for any clues of the remaining Horcruxes, would go out into secluded areas and break the Taboo, in order to draw Snatcher's to them. After enough teams failed to return from these missions Voldemort ordered a task force consisting of: Walden Macnair, Peter Pettigrew, the Death Eaters Jugson, and Travers along with Fenrir Greyback and four other Snatchers to find and eliminate this threat. The only one to survive this attack was one of the Snatchers who arrived in the Atrium of the Ministry clutching the severed silver hand of Peter Pettigrew screaming that Harry Potter was indeed alive, and had killed everyone. He was detained in place and Lord Voldemort was summoned to deal with the matter personally. It was when the Dark Lord exited the mind of the Snatcher that, for an unbelievable moment for those there to witness it, the face of Lord Voldemort was seen to have a look of fear on it.

oooooooooo

Over the next two years, the residents of Grimmauld Place continued to conduct raids on Voldemort's forces. This was only to keep up a show of force however as they searched for any trace of the Horcruxes. Once Harry and Ginny Potter decided to let the other's know of their mission, they recieved a break in their search. Terry Boot who had continued to wear a cloak into battle until the death of his mother the previous year, suggested that the unknown Horcrux could be the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. So having after so long with no leads, plans were set into motion to infiltrate the school and find out what they could about the Diadem. After making contact with Severus Snape, which the others had been skeptical of until Harry assured them that he could be trusted, they were led into Ravenclaw Tower after curfew and found a bust of Rowena Ravenclaw herself. Just as they began to speculate ways to find it Draco Malfoy's eyes narrowed and he got a look of recognition on his face as he looked away from it and said to the others, "I know where it is."

They were all to stunned to respond. Everyone except for Snape that is. With a twisted look on his face he said three words.

"I'm destoying it."

oooooooooo

That was the last time any of them had seen him. The very next day Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Inner Circle Death Eater, Spy for the Order of the Phoenix, Lord Voldemort's most trusted servant, Albus Dumbledore's loyal servant, and a man still in love with a woman twenty years dead. Walked straight up to the reason of that woman's death and started a duel that surpassed anything seen since the duel between Dumbledore, and Grindlewald. In the end though Severus Snape snapped his own wand and threw the Dark Lord's back to him, and with outstretched arms he sneered, "Kill me then, coward." and waited until he saw Lily and Albus at a familiar train station.

Just three weeks after the duel in the Atrium Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Terry Boot, and Draco Malfoy were captured during a raid on a holding facility while trying to free the Wandless that were being held there. All four were given the Dementor's Kiss within the hour. The Potters went into hiding to never be seen again. Lord Voldemort, having completly secured the British Isles, started to expand his power into mainland Europe, and the rest of the world waited with baited breath for a deliverance that was to never come.

oooooooooo: Present

The room would be covered in darkness if not for the low, flickering light of the candle on the desk in the corner of the small spartan room. To the casual passerby it would seem that the only occupant of the room was the woman who sat in the chair, pouring over the ancient tome lying in front of her. Her face cast in the light showed only a single minded determination of one who knew that nine years of research, delving into the darkest secrets of magic, was reaching it's culmination. Checking through the theories and arithmantic calculations for what would be the seventh and final time, she once again reached the same conclusion that the previous six resuts had stated. The ritual was complete, and ready to be put into motion.

She glanced up at the movement in the doorway, "It's ready."

"Good, we are as prepared as can be expected." came the reply from the man who had just entered the room. His eyes focused not on the speaker, but the two prisoners nailed to the wall in a grotesque parody of a crucifiction. Each in the center of a runic field, drawn on the wall with the blood of their comrades.

Once the sacrifices were made, the runes would open the gateways of time. They would enter their own runic circles, which would guarantee that they would not move on to the afterworld. And once inside the circle they would cast the killing curse, and once their souls were free of the anchors chaining them to the mortal world, they would enter the gates.

"We'll begin now." said Harry as he walked up to the nameless Death Eater while withdrawing the silver dagger from the depths of his robes. "Your going to help us kill your master. You should be proud." and with that parting statement he thrust the dagger up through the solar plexus, and into the heart of his sacrifice.

Looking over to Ginny he saw her enter her own circle and cast the Killing Curse on herself. Pointing his wand at the desk in the far corner of the room, he spoke the incantation to send Fiendfyre into the work that showed others the method of time travel. After all who knew, once they were gone the Fidelius Charm around the house might collapse, and it would be pointless to have someone follow them. Besides Sirius hated this house, although Kreacher would probably be upset that noone would be able to see that his head had been mounted on the wall.

Glancing at Ginny again he saw that she was already opening her own gate.

Stepping into his own circle Harry Potter pointed his wand at himself, summoned all of his hate and yelled, "Avada Kedavra"

Harry watched dispassionately as his body collapsed to the floor, raising his eyes to look at his own gate and spoke in his most commanding tone.

"Temportus Expositus Ut Tui Erus" the body of his sacrifice seemed to dissolve into the runes drawn on the wall, and a blinding light appeared inside the circle. All of a sudden he felt himself pulled forward into the light, knowing that it had worked.

Hopefully.


	2. Dursley's Dominated

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

A/N- Hello everyone! This Chapter is a rewrite, and while a good deal of it remains the same, it was pointed out that I seemed to be forcing the characters to what I wanted as an end result. So I've gone back and changed some things, while building this into something that looks like an actual story rather than a bunch of oneshots that have been forced together. That said, the next Ch. won't even be recognizable as to what it was before, with one exception, of course. I'd also like to extend a public thanks to Warslasher for the wake up call.

'Thought' - "Spoken" - _"Parseltongue" - _**Written Text **

Chapter 2: Dursley's Dominated

oooooooooo: Summer 1991 - Litte Whinging, Surrey

Ten year old Harry Potter, or boy as his family called him, was behind his relatives house weeding the flowerbed and considering his future. Normally this would be odd, a child already contemplating his life. For Harry though the knowledge that he, and his excessively large cousin, Dudley Dursley, had finished Primary School was a source of joy for young Harry. Just this morning his relatives, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, had received an acceptance letter from Uncle Vernon's Alma Mater, Smeltings School, for Dudley. And for Harry that information was golden, because he would be attending the local Stonewall High. For the first time in his young life Harry wouldn't have to intentionally keep his grades lower than Dudley's, and with the pig gone he would have the chance to make friends without the fear of Dudley finding out and chasing them away. It was here that Harry's thoughts faltered. Friends, it was such a foreign concept to his young mind that he began to worry, 'What if no one liked him. What if everyone else thought he was a freak just like his family?' pushing these thoughts away he started to focus on finishing his chores, 'Maybe if I finish early I can sneak into the kitchen and get a snack.' Just as he started to pull a particularly difficult weed from around Aunt Petunia's treasured rose bushes there was a blinding flash of light, and Harry Potter fell forward onto the rose bushes, his last thought before losing consciousness was, 'Oh, no' which was oddly answered by another voice saying, 'Oh, yes.'

For the next hour there were some decidedly odd events going on within the mind of Harry Potter. These mental proceedings were the only evidence that his soul had merged with....his soul? The only reason that he was aware of, and could understand, what was going on was from the rush of knowledge that had flooded his mind after the light. Knowledge that was terrifying in content as he watched horrible things happen to strangers that he loved. Strangers that he knew better than his own family, but he could also remember himself doing things to people that didn't seem possible. As these memories began to play through his mind however, he felt the sensation of his own mind expanding. His ability to process information speed up. Finally, he could see the gradual shift in personality that wasn't wholly him, or the other him. Harry Potter, Second Wizarding War veteran had successfully merged soul and mind with Harry Potter, the unknowing Boy-Who-Lived. Two had become one, and Harry Potter the Chosen One emerged.

When the Dursley's arrived home, the merger had been completed for just under half an hour. Harry, was still unconcious on the rose bushes though, so when Petunia had gone to check on his progress and discovered him sleeping, and on her precious flowers no less, she flew into a screeching fit that would have made a banshee flee in terror. It was this that finally roused Harry from the realm of Morpheus. Just as he was getting his bearings he found himself being hauled to his feet by his Aunt, and pulled into the house, Harry knew he was being led to the cupboard under the stairs and went without complaint as that would give him the precious days needed to recover his strength and formulate a plan to bend his 'family' to his will.

oooooooooo

'I did it! It bloody well worked!' Harry crowed in his mind while he lay on the small bed in his copboard. 'I half expected to end up in Purgatory at best, but it worked!' Of course he would never allow Ginny to know that he had doubted the results of the ritual that they had poured so much time, and effort to develop. Not unless he wanted to lose his reason to call himself a man, that is.

'Yes, it would be best if she never knew.' He thought with a grimace. 'Now, what should I do about my dear family?' And with that question in mind, Harry began to think of idea's that would grant him the kind of treatment he desired from the Dursley's before stopping himself. Why should he try and change how the Dursley's treated him when he could just come up with a plan that would allow him to be rid of them for good? That was the reason for coming back after all, to change events in a way that he could make a differance right? So with his mind focused on a new objective he began making a plan that would put him in charge of his destiny, and allow him to alter the course of events as he saw fit.

oooooooooo

Harry was locked up in the cupboard for the next two weeks, and was only let out the morning of Dudley's birthday. This was only due to the fact that the bacon needed to be tended while, Aunt Petunia continued to insure that Dudley remained as pampered as possible.

'They've effectively destroyed that kid's character.' was Harry's thought as he watched Dudley throw a temper tantrum about the fact that he only had thirty-seven presents. Of course the elder Dursley's immediately stopped this with the promise of two more presents. 'Oh, I can't wait for today. These bastards are going to rue ever crossing me.' at the notion of his plan Harry smirked darkly.

Just at that moment the telephone could be heard ringing in the sitting room, and Aunt quickly made her way to answer it.

'And so it begins.' Harry quickly masked his face into an image of subservience, afraid the Dursley's would pick up on his thoughts by reading his face, thick as they were he wasn't willing to leave anything to chance.

Just as Harry was placing the bacon on the table Aunt Petunia came back into the kitchen looking upset.

"That was Mrs. Figg, apparently she broke her leg so she can't take him." she spat while jerking her head in Harry's direction.

As Uncle Vernon, went on to suggest one of Petunia's friends, who was apparently on vacation, and then his sister who Petunia refuted knowing that her hatred of Harry would keep her from doing so. Harry was suddenly curious what was going on in their minds, and so he reached out with Legilimency to discover to his horror that they were contemplating leaving him at the house, locked in the cupboard naturally.

Knowing that they would never go along with one of his suggestions, even one they had just been thinking it themselves, he was quick to say, "You could leave me here."

Uncle Vernon immediately balked at the idea and screamed, "I will not leave you here to find the house....blown up when we return."

It was Aunt Petunia, who had no other idea's that finally said it. "Well I suppose we could take him with us, and leave him in the car."

Dudley upon hearing this immediately broke out into loud, fake sobs while his body shook from his supressed laughter, while at the same time Vernon declaimed in a loud tone of voice, "That's a brand new car Petunia, I'm not leaving it in there."

'It?' was Harry's indignant thought as he watched his cousin direct a nasty smile at him from beneath his mother's arms, while she made promises that would never be kept if Harry had anything to with it.

All of a sudden they all stopped at the sound of the doorbell.

"Dear God, they're here." shreiked Petunia as she sped from the room to answer the door.

oooooooooo: London Zoo, Reptile House

So far Harry's plans had gone off without a hitch. The next part was going to be the most difficult however. After learning Occlumency in the Past, he had rock solid control over his emotions, and there-in lied his problem. Accidental magic only happened when one lost control of their emotions. He knew that wandless magic was possible, he had seen Dumbledore use it on occasion in the Past. But those were only minor charms that, granted would be helpful now, were unrealistic to his needs of fighting a war. By the time he had gone into hiding, the idea of wandless magic had already been pushed to the recesses of his mind, so he had never even considered learning it. That only left him with one alternative, figure out how to force some accidental magic.

'Well I deal with that after I've made my choice,' Harry thought with a mental sigh. 'Now to find the perfect snake.'

Leaving the Dursley's and Piers at the glass of a large Boa Constrictor, he headed straight to the section housing the venomous snakes. It only took about three minutes, and an impatient question to the Keeper of the Reptile House, and he located it. Wanting to make sure it was the one the Keeper had directed him to he read the plaque next to the terrarium.

**Inland Taipan, a.k.a. the** **Fierce Snake**

**Drop for drop the most venomous snake in the world. It's Neuro-toxin is 50 times stronger than that of most Rattlesnakes, and 150 - 200 times more potent than that of the Common Cobra.**

**While normally docile it will attack if cornered. **

'Just like me.' Harry thought before continuing to read.

**Capable of killing an adult human in 45 minutes if no anti-venin is administered. **

**'**Much slower than me though.' this thought actually got a dark chuckle in response.

**Can grow up to 6 feet (2 meters) in length.**

'Damn it, even it could potentially be taller than me.' thinking back to his 5 foot 9 inch adult body he used to have.

Looking towards the tank Harry recieved a jolt of surprise to see a four foot brown serpent rearing on the other side of the glass. It's small black eyes glittering as they locked onto his, for a moment Harry had the intense urge to give up on his plan, and get the hell away from the snake. Then he glanced towards the Dursley's and thought of all the times they had starved, abused or locked him away in the cupboard. Having reinforced his will to break them to his desire's he looked back to the snake.

_"Hello, my little beauty." _Harry was intensely aware of the great throng of humanity around him, so he tried to keep his voice as low as possible.

The snake dipped a six inch portion of it's body in a strange reflection of a courtly bow. The grace of the movement however made Harry wonder if it wasn't humans that had stolen the gesture from serpents.

_"What is your name, what are you called by?" _Harry asked, not knowing if the snake would understand the concept of names.

_"I have no name, I am called by nothing." _Came the serpent's hissing reply.

Pleasantries exchanged, or near enough, Harry decided that the time had come to get to the point of the conversation. _"I would have you serve me. I will release you from that prison, but only in exchange for your services."_

_"So you would have me leave this prison, only to be imprisoned by you? I think not." _

_"Not imprisoned, you would have your liberties. You would be required to obey me however, and perform any tasks that I needed you to." _Harry spoke in a reassuring voice.

_"What kinds of tasks?" _

_"That will come later, now make your descision. Stay here or have freedoms, my time is short and my patience even shorter." _

The icy quality of Harry's voice caused the snake to dip it's head towards the ground before replying, _"I submit to your will...,Master."_

_"Good, when I remove the glass you need to enter the sleeve of my shirt, and coil yourself around my arm. You will have to move quickly. Do you understand?"_

_"Yes, Master."_

_"Excellent, move as soon as the glass is gone."_

And with his orders given, and the bargain struck Harry focused on the hardest part. Getting rid of the glass enclosure. This time he would have to force himself to lose control, most powerful spells required emotion as the driving force behind them, whether it be hate, love or whatever. Bringing these emotions to the surface of his mind would pose no difficulty, after years of casting the most powerful Light and Dark spells known to the magical world. All while watching the movements of his enemies, and dodging incoming spells. No that wouldn't be a problem, but losing himself to them might be though. So letting his Occlumency defences fall for the first time in over thirteen years, well technically, and focusing on the glass in front of him. Harry brought forth every bad memory he possessed, summoning every feeling he had ever had of pain, hate, anger and despair. But after twenty seconds, with no results he quit focusing on the glass and turned his full attention within himself, he kept drawing on these emotions, falling ever deeper into their control until it seemed as though he would drown in the vast tempest raging within him.

The effect was instantaneous, every window in the reptile house exploded with the force of a tsunami making landfall, and the building was plunged into darkness as the lights shattered. People were screaming as they were hit by slicing shards of glass. But the real chaos erupted when the dinizens of the tanks that had previously been safely secured behind the glass, were felt moving around the feet of the terrified visitors, climbing up the legs of petrified Muggles or striking out at those that got to close. Harry felt his newly aquired servant wrap itself around his arm, it's body of corded muscle gripping his arm as tightly as an steel band.

"There's that done. Now comes the fun part." Harry said softly as he began to calmly make his way towards the exit of the veiwing gallery, whispering instructions to his new familiar the entire way.

Once Harry got outside the building he was grabbed by frantic zoo worker's, who began bombarding him with questions about his health. Harry delivered the required answers in a frightened tone, saying that he was fine and that he just wanted to find out if his family was unhurt or not. And the foolish zoo keeper told him in a bracing voice that he was sure they were.

'Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.' he thought, but looking to the zoo keeper he said "Are you sure?"

The zoo keeper gave him a strange look before nodding his head, and wandering off to see if anyone else needed assistance.

'Damn, guess I couldn't keep the disappointment out of my voice.' thought as Harry went to search for his family.

It didn't take long as the voice in which Aunt Petunia was carrying on in, could have raised the dead. Uncle Vernon was spouting some nonsense about how proud he was at the bravery the two boys displayed. It was after about five more minutes of Petunia checking both boys for any damage, and Vernon continuing to mutter about bravery, and "holding the line", that Piers noticed Harry.

"Mr. Dursley there's Harry!"

It took a second for Vernon Dursley to fully understand what Piers meant, but once it did he spun on the spot to fix Harry with a beady-eyed stare that just screamed 'I KNOW IT WAS YOU!', which Harry found amusing as even if it wasn't he would have been blamed. Harry however now had his trump card, the most venomous snake known to Muggles. That along with the knowledge that Vernon wouldn't make a move against him in public had Harry raising his eyebrow and smirking in an insolent manner while crossing his arms, seeing this Vernon took a step in his direction before stoping at the thought that he would wait until they were safely secured behind the doors of Number Four, Privet Drive before dealing with the brat.

oooooooooo

During the ride back to Surrey, Harry was thinking about the events of the day so far. Or more specifically on the results of his 'little' experiment. He had meant to only get rid of the glass in front of him, not blow up every bit in the building. He had tried to focus on just the glass, but it seemed even that small amount of outward concentration had kept his magic firmly tethered to him. When he had gotten rid of that focus his magic had responded sure, but it was uncontrolled, and far more powerful than any other magic he had ever seen without the aid of a wand. Did that mean wandless magic could indeed be more powerful than he had known, or was it just his magic responding to the deluge of memories that showed him to be almost always surrounded by Death Eaters or their subordinate's? There were no answers only questions, but at Hogwarts there would be answers. He would have one of the largest libraries of magical knowledge at his disposal when he arrived. He would find out the secrets of wandless magic, and then push them to their limits.

Pulling into the drive way of Number Four, Uncle Vernon ordered everyone to the living room and the small family of three rushed into the house. Harry however had no such rush, no he wanted to enrage the others, that way when he put them in their place it would be much more satisfying.

Entering the house Harry found himself being grabbed by the arm and slung into the sitting room where Petunia sat on the couch coddling Dudley. Harry however had spent most of his life fighting in a war that made dodging, a key means of survival. So for a moment there was a stunned silence as Harry twisted his body into a landing roll that brought him to his feet.

"Keep your hands off of me, you fat ass bastard."

Petunia gasped.

Dudley stared in wide-eyed amazement.

And Vernon, exactly as anticipated, bellowed like a wounded rhinocerous and charged forward, raising a meaty fist in preparation of striking Harry for his disrespect.

_"NOW"_

At the command two and a half feet of brown scales and hissing snake erupted from the sleeve of Harry's outstretched arm, looking for all the world as though he were holding a sword.

Petunia let out a shrill scream.

Dudley mirrored his mother, even managing to get the same pitch. Harry noted this with amusement.

And Vernon, seeing the two inch long fangs, dripping with venom, tried to backpedal so fast that his legs were swept out from under his body and he collapsed to the ground with an earth-shaking thud, and was instantly crawling backwards with Harry following him every step of the way. Harry relished the fear that appeared on the face of his Uncle as the wall stopped any hope he was entertaining of escape.

"Get up." Vernon's face blanched at the tone of his nephews voice, but his body seemed unable to comply with Harry's demand as the fear coursing through his veins seemed to have paralyzed him. "I said get up, NOW!"

With great effort Vernon slowly rose, his mind screaming in protest and warning him not to do anything that might provoke the snake that was gazing at him with fangs still bared.

"Good, now go join your family on the couch." It was an order that he hastened to obey.

"Now I'm going to talk and you WILL listen." Harry said while raising the snake higher to emphasize just why they should do as he commanded.

"I think the first thing I'll start with is to let you know that I know everything." seeing the looks of shock on his Aunt, and Uncle's face caused him to give a humorless laugh, and launched into his prepared story. "You see, about three years ago I was still wanting your love and acceptance so bad, that I was desperate to know how I could get it." He had to pause here as a wave of nausea swept through his body at the remembrance of once wanting that very thing.

"I was being yelled at by you, Aunt Petunia, for something I had no control over. Something that I hadn't even done, but I've always been blamed when Dudley does something haven't I!" Harry paused and took a steadying breath. "But as I was saying, I was desperate to find the reason you could never seem to love me."

"Imagine my surprise when I found myself witnessing things I had never seen or done. When I saw a childhood version of my mother looking at me, and calling me Tuney." Petunia's face went ashen at this. "I didn't realize at first, but I eventually came to understand that I had been in YOUR mind, seeing YOUR memories. Once I figured that out I knew I had to learn how to control this power if I ever wanted to learn anything about my Mum, after all I've never been allowed the basic human right of asking questions have I?"

"I started practicing on the other kids at school, it took a long time but this year I finally got so good that I could find anything I wanted with no difficulty at all. Yes, I can invade the minds of others, but you were the surprise. After all the times that I wondered why you could never seem to love me, I discovered the reason why you hated me. Me and my parents can use magic, and you can't. You made me suffer, because you were JEALOUS! Until that moment I had never realized just how petty you were!"

Seeing the two adults starting to become angry, and indignant under his verbal barrage he knew it was time to reinforce who was in control.

_"Which one would you like to eat?"_

The reply was swift in coming. _"None, they're all disgusting creatures."_

_"True, but I'm going to have to put you on one of them, stay near his neck and face."_

_"Yes, Master."_

As soon as Harry started to speak to the serpent the foolish thoughts of defiance fled from them, and they all tried to sink into the couch as Harry approached them.

"I haven't introduced my friend yet have I? Well, I haven't named her yet but she's an Inland Taipan, the most deadly snake in the world. Her venom is 200 times more deadly than a cobra's. She only listens to me, and I just ordered her to attack if any of you even attempt to put your hands on her, understand?" at their hurried nods he said, "Good" and in a swift movement he wrapped her around Dudley's neck. The three Dursley's all gave terrified yells, but made no movement to reach for the snake.

"If you do decide to make a grab for her she'll attack the main artery in Dudley's neck. Her bite will kill an adult in 45 minutes if the bite isn't in a vital area. As it is he's not an adult, and his jugular would spread the venom throughout his body in a matter of minutes. But please don't take my word for it." the forlorn looks on their faces caused Harry to give a short burst of cold laughter that struck out at them like a whip.

"He's just as guilty as the two of you. Always beating me up because you allowed it, and knowing that if I tried to fight back all he would need to do is tell you and I would be punished." Harry's face was begining to take on a demented appearance as his eyes started to glow with the raging fire burning inside him.

"Or even worse, beating up the other kids who tried to be nice to me, that way he could make sure I had no friends. You know, maybe I should just order the attack now and be done with it, taking away your precious Diddykins would be the perfect way to get my revenge on all three of you in one swift moment!" Knowing even as he said it that they would never call his bluff.

By this point even Vernon was crying in fear, knowing that his son was an instant from death, and that the only thing keeping him alive was the boy who's life they had turned into a living hell.

Petunia however was looking at Harry with tears streaming down her face.

"Please....please don't do this!"

Harry's eyes bored into her's and he said in a voice that would chill the dead.

"And why shouldn't I, what kindness have you ever given me that would cause me to grant you one?"

Hearing these words, and knowing their truth, Petunia began to sob with renewed force.

Seeing that his moment was nearly upon him Harry looked to his family with a look of reluctance. "Don't worry though, there's still a way for you to come out of this situation unscathed."

The Dursley's heads snapped up at the mention of salvation, and Harry knew that his liberation had already been acheived in all but deed.

"Yes, I thought that might get your attention. Like I said, when I went through your memories, I discovered alot of interesting information. I know I'll be receiving my Hogwart's letter sometime around my birthday, when that happens you're going to take me to get my school supplies, and then you'll take me to the train station from your memories when I need to." after seeing their hasty nods of agreement he continued.

"Now in the letter from that Dumbledore fellow, he said if you took me in willingly, then blood wards would be activated right?"

Petunia, who was staring at him in shock at the fact that he really did know all this just nodded her head.

"Good, because I have a hunch that on the day you drop me off at the train station, if we agree that this is no longer my home and we both know and accept that I won't be coming back, then the blood wards will break and I'll never have to return here again." He smiled when he saw the looks of understanding etched into the lines of their faces.

"Do you think you can ALL agree to this plan?" Harry asked, though everyone knew it was actually an order.

The Dursley's however couldn't speak so they just settled for nodding which Harry accepted just the same.

"Great, I'm glad to hear it." came his scathing response, at the return of hatred to his previously reasonable voice, the little color that the Dursley's had regained over the past few minutes, once again fled into the night.

"There's just one more thing." and at this he gave a smirk that many Death Eaters had learned to dread whenever he came back into the room to continue an interrogation. It was a look that promised pain, and suffering.

"As you now know, I can enter someone's mind with no problem at all. But observing your memories isn't all I can do. You see I can turn the worst moments of your lives against you, I can implant nightmares so deep in your subconcious that for the rest of your lives, whenever you close your eyes, you'll dream of the most horrific events known to man. Your waking moments would be filled with dread of the sleep that must come, and you'd be slowly driven to insanity by that fear, and by the nightmares."

As he watched this news settle over the Dursley's he finished by saying.

"That will be your fate if you try to break our agreement, or if you even once treat me as you have before."

Harry reached over and took the serpent from around Dudley's neck, and started to leave the room when Petunia's voice called out from behind him. Turning around and meeting her gaze he waited for her to speak.

"Please take Dudley's second bedroom for the rest of your time here." Harry bit back the response that came to his mind when she said that and just settled for nodding his head. Just as he was about to leave the room he thought of one more thing to say. Not for their sake, but for Dumbledore's when he came to investigate the falling of the wards. An investigation that was guaranteed to include Legilimency, it wouldn't do to have him think that Harry was another Voldemort. He already knew that this little show tonight was going to bring an uncomfortable type of scrunity down on him. He knew that in the past he had always been watched closely, but Dumbledore had never had reason to doubt him before.

"I didn't enjoy this, but had I not discovered this mind magic and found out the truth I would have been painfully ignorant and completely unprepared for my future. That letter said Lord Voldemort was gone, not dead." sighing and shaking his head he looked back at them. "I will kill him, I'll stop him from hurting others like he did my family. You've helped by forcing me to learn this magic, however unintentional it was, so I can forgive you for keeping me in the dark. I can even forgive you for the way you raised me as I think I'm a much stronger person for it. But, you defiled the memory of my family, your own blood, and for that I hope you burn in hell." with that he left the room, while his relatives sat in stark terror at the thought of his return. They would later be told by a Muggle psychiatrist that they were suffering from a severe case of Post Traumatic Sress Disorder.

Harry was now in the smallest bedroom of Number Four, lying on his bed and thinking about how the days events. For the most part his plan had gone exactly as he intended, though he did admit to getting a little carried away towards the end. Not that he would be apologizing for it anytime soon, he'd join Voldemort before that happened. Now all he had to do was wait for his letter that he remembered having arrived sometime before his birthday, once that happened he would go and get his school supplies, his wand and Hedwig. Then he would return home and study all of his books, that was also something that he was looking forward to surprisingly, although if you thought about it, the last nine years of his past were spent in hiding, reading theory's and studying the most arcane branches of knowledge that wizards had ever seen.

But this would be simple basics, which while he knew them, he hoped that he would find even greater insights into them this time around. He had no intentions of being 'honest' with his work, granted he might not deserve the credit he would receive. His other life had proved that, but this time he would play the child prodigy so he could learn things that truly interested him. He knew after today that wandless magic was going to be a top priority, and as appealing as a return to the Quidditch pitch was to him, he wasn't in any hurry to join a house team. After all, that would only give his enemies a more visible target. No, he would rather do his flying at his own leisure. And if he decided later that he wanted to play, then he could always tryout. After all, the only person who had skills as good as him at Hogwarts was Ginny, and even she had nothing on his capabilities.

Ginny, his NINE year old wife. True they might not be married here but that was only a technicality. At least that was one thing he knew was a certainty in this life, this time there would be know akward stage, no that had been taken care of long ago. That led his mind to thoughts of the Past Ginny, it was odd wanting someone, and not having your body respond when you could clearly remember it doing so before. Merlin, he must be the only boy his age looking forward to puberty, well maybe not all of it but the rewards at the end were definitely something to look forward too.

_"Master, I hunger."_ said a hissing voice in his ear, that broke him out of his thoughts quite nicely.

Rolling his head to the side Harry once again found himself staring into the eyes of the Muggle-world's most deadly snake. He wasn't able to maintain eye contact this time though as he laughingly rubbed the end of his nose that had been tickled by her tongue.

_"Will you be able to find your way back if I let you out to hunt?"_

_"Yes, our memories are great in length Master."_

_"Very well, I have no problem with that, and I have decided on a name for you by the way, how does Manasa sound?" _

_"Manasa, it is acceptable Master."_

_"Good, I'll take you outside there's some dangers you need to know of that I'll show you, one is called a road and the other is a car." _As Harry picked Manasa up and walked to the door while describing the danger they posed.

oooooooooo: Diagon Alley

Harry had waited until impatiently for weeks for his Hogwarts letter to arrive, and finally on July 24 it had, but Harry also knew that Hagrid wouldn't be picking him up this time which brought up the problem of his key. No key, no money. No money, no supplies for Hogwarts. So asking the owl two wait he attached a letter to his acceptance letter inquiring about funding, as his relatives were unwilling to pay for his tuition. Two days later his key arrived by owl, and he immediately found his Aunt and made plans to go to Diagon Alley on the first of August. While he would have rather gone sooner he knew that his relatives had already made plans, in order to get away from him for awhile, so he suggested the first which Petunia gratefully latched onto. So for the first time in this life Harry Potter was going to make his entrance into the Wizarding World of Great Britain.

Stepping out of the car in front of The Leaky Cauldron, Harry turned back to his Uncle and said, "Thank you for the ride, but you don't need to stay. I'll find my own way back."

Vernon accepted this with a grateful nod and hurriedly got back in the car, and driving away so fast he was almost hit by another vehicle. Laughing at his Uncle's antics he turned around walked to the door and entered the pub. Quickly making his way through the room, while staring at the floor to keep anyone from catching sight of the scar on his forehead, he exited the back and waited next to some old rubbish bins for someone to show up with a wand to open the archway. After an almost ten minute wait his patience was rewarded as an exqusitely dressed old witch exited the bar and made her way over.

Stopping before the wall she looked over at him and sneered at his appearance.

'Great, a Pureblood that thinks I'm some poor Muggleborn' Harry thought with an inaudible sigh.

"What are you doing here boy, and just what are you wearing?" came the disdainful query.

'Well time to get on with it.' Casually running a hand through his hair giving the witch a breif veiw of his scar, and smiling inwardly as he caught the slight widening of her eyes he said.

"I was waiting for someone to come by and open the archway ma'am. I'm starting Hogwarts this year, so I have to purchase my school supplies." Harry responded in a neutral tone. "As for these rags." he sneered with a sweeping gesture at the clothes he was wearing. "My horrid Muggle relatives seem to think that if I'm not allowed to wear descent clothes, then I won't get any ideas of self-worth. I was planning on getting a new wardrobe and burning these later tonight"

"So you are here by yourself then?" came the thoughtful question. 'Shit, what if this woman supports Voldemort? I don't have a wand yet!'

"Yes ma'am, I have no desire to be around my relatives any more than is required." was his guarded response. Harry waited for her response, while preparing himself to move at the first sign of aggression.

This proved unnecessary however, as a moment later the witch said, "Very well, in that case I shall escort you to get your supplies." and seeing that he was about to protest she forestalled any argument by raising an imperious hand in a silencing gesture and said, "Children should not wander around on their own, and you'll need to have someone that will keep you from being taken advantage of. Most shopkeepers seeing a young wizard by himself would try to rob them blind, but I can keep that from happening." she drew her wand and started tapping out the sequence to open the archway. "We'll head directly to Madame Malkin's, forgive me, but I can't allow myself to be seen with you dressed as you are."

As the brick wall was rearranging itself Harry realized he didn't yet know the witch's name, even though she knew who he was. So he decided that it was time to introduce himself properly.

Holding out his hand he said, "My name's Harry Potter."

Taking his hand she looked him in the eyes with an odd gleam in her eyes, it wasn't threatening, just odd.

Before replying, "I know who you are Mr. Potter." her eyes still had that look in them before they snapped back into focus and said.

"My name is Cassiopeia Black." and with that she started walking down the Alley. Had she waited a moment longer she would have seen the shock and recognition sweep over his face at her name.

He couldn't believe it, he had just met and been forced to accept the help of Cassiopeia Black, the Great-Aunt of Sirius Black, Andromeda Tonks, Narcissa Malfoy, and Bellatrix Lestrange. The question was why. Did she have more in common with Sirius, and Andromeda than anyone knew, or was there some other motive for her helping him? He wasn't sure but he was intending to find out, he knew from the Black Family Tapestry that she had died in 1992, so she wasn't around to see the return of Voldemort, so he didn't know what she would have done had she still been alive. What would she have thought of the attempted defection of Narcissa, and her subsequent murder at the hands of her husband for her betrayal of the Dark Lord? How would she have responded to seeing her Great-Great Nephew publicly execute his father the next day in retribution, and anounce his true loyalties? There was only one way to find out, with these thoughts running his mind he followed her into the doors of Madame Malkin's.

Two hours later, Harry Potter and Cassiopeia Black walked out of Madam Malkin's with the former wearing a freshly made, and tailored suit that Harry couldn't believe he was wearing. Never in either of his lives had he worn such nice clothing. That was just the beginning though. Once the outfit was completed he was ordered to change and bring the clothes he had been wearing back to the front which was promptly burned as per his wishes.

Ms. Black had then looked him over and said in a satisfied tone, "Now you look like a proper Heir of Dorea Black."

Harry's insides froze. He knew that Dorea Black had married Charlus Potter thanks to the Black Family Tapestry, he and Ginny had even speculated that they could be related, but no one had been left that could tell him, but if what Ms. Black had just implied was true, then they were his grandparents. She couldn't know that however, so with confusion written across his face he asked.

"Who's that?"

The look of anger that crossed her face was intimidating, "You don't know? No one's told you?"

Shaking his head Harry waited for the vebal confirmation that Dorea Potter was indeed his grandmother. He was sadly dissappointed.

With a frown, Cassiopeia said, "Well now's not the time," and seeing his crestfallen expression, hastened to add. "After we're done shopping we'll talk over dinner."

Immediately Harry's spirits soared.

"So where to next?" she asked looking at Harry with a delighted smile.

"Gringotts, so I can make the rest of my purchases and pay you back for my new wardrobe."

The smile vanished.

"I think not Mr. Potter, all purchases today will be taken care of at the expense of the Black family." she said in that lofty tone of hers, and seeing him opening his mouth to protest she silenced him with one look and an arched eyebrow. "Don't worry child, you'll understand after dinner." Seeing his stance shift to one of defeat she said, "Now that we're agreed Gringotts isn't in play, where would you like to go?"

"To get my wand!" he replied with conviction.

"Ollivander's it is then."

oooooooooo

As the feeling of power rushed through him as his wand chose him, Harry couldn't help noting that it was significantly less powerful than the feeling the Elder Wand had given the day he had won it's allegiance from Draco Malfoy. Harry and Ginny had responded to the alarm of Death Eaters attacking an orphanage they had placed wards around the month before. When they arrived they found six cloaked figures torturing the terrified children and mutilating the corpses of those they had already killed. Of the six, only the five wearing the skeletal masks of junior Death Eaters were participating. The sixth however, was wearing an intricately engraved silver mask that signified his position in the Inner Circle. Harry immediately engaged him, but after feeling the wand not respond correctly to his first three curses he knew he was facing Draco Malfoy. So he stowed the Deathstick, and drew his holly wand. Armed with a wand that wouldn't resist him, he quickly had the younger Malfoy disarmed and stunned. After helping Ginny subdue the three remaining Death Eaters theywalked over to Malfoy's unconscious form and quickly woke him. After a round robin game of the Cruciatus Curse between Harry and Ginny that had the orphans cheering in retribution, Harry had told him that he would be spared since he had lowered his wand instead of killing Dumbledore, but that next time he would die. He was allowed to Disapparate, while wondering who the cloaked figure was that seemed to know so much. Harry and Ginny for their part were relieved later, when they learned he was working with Neville, and had only been there as part of his charade for Voldemort.

Harry was snapped from his musings when he heard the voice of Ollivander muttering, "Hmm... curious, very curious."

oooooooooo

Two hours later, Harry was sitting in a private room in The Leaky Cauldron having just finished eating dinner with Ms. Black, who had been sitting patiently for him to finish his meal before starting their conversation. Seeing Harry turn his attention she started.

"Well Harry, I think that this would be easier if you ask a question, and I'll answer it if I can. How does that sound."

"It sounds good to me ma'am."

"Okay, now I think that your first question was who Dorea Black was correct?"

"Yes ma'am, it was."

"Good, that's an easy question to start with, though one that you should have been told long ago, because you see Harry, Dorea Black was your grandmother."

The smile on Harry's face was one that he didn't have to feign as the joy of hearing this spoken aloud for the first time nearly overwhelmed him.

"My grandmother?"

"Yes, she was your grandmother. Dorea Black married an Auror named Charlus Potter."

"What's was she like?"

"She was a caring person who always tried to help the people she felt deserved it, but if someone tried to hurt the one's she cared about she would make that person rue the day they were born." she said this with a small smile of remembrance.

Harry nodded in understanding, and asked, "How were you related?"

"She was my sister, that makes me your Great-great Aunt. That's also one of the reasons why I purchased all of your school supplies."

"What was the other reasons?" Harry asked genuinely curious now. This curiousity was intensified when he saw the look of hesitation on her face.

"Well, one is the that the only other Great- great nephew I have is as arrogant, and pompous as his father. Despite his mother's best efforts to prevent it, he'll be starting Hogwart's this year as well so you'll see what I mean. His name is Draco Malfoy by the way, and through your grandmother he's also your second cousin. You only have one other cousin near your age although she's still seven years older than you. Her name is Nymphadora Tonks."

"There is only one other reason. It pains me to have to be the one to tell you this story, but you have the right to know." she took a deep breath and stared at the ground for a moment. When she looked back up there were unshed tears glimmering in her eyes. "My Great-nephew, your father's one time best friend, and your Godfather, Sirius Black."

"Why is he a reason?" Harry asked putting as much confusion into his voice as possible.

"I'll get to that in a moment, but first I want to tell you a story. Throughout the entire line of our family every Black has been a Slytherin, including your grandmother. That all ended though when Sirius went to Hogwarts, you see he didn't hold with the ideals of Blood Supremacy that his mother Walburga had been teaching him throughout his childhood. On the train to Hogwarts he met your father and they became the best of friends, so when it came time for Sirius to be sorted he broke all the rules and got sorted into Gryffindor. Let me tell you, my neice was furious, but there was nothing she could do about it. Finally the summer after his fifth year Sirius ran away from home and stayed with Dorea and Charlus for awhile. I was very proud of him for standing up for his beliefs and defying Walburga, so I gathered some money and sent it to my nephew Alphard who had just been disowned for giving money to Sirius, and asked that he pass it along discretely to Sirius with my compliments. The next thing I heard was that he along with your parent's were actively fighting against the Dark Lord, you know about him I'm sure?"

"Yes, ma'am"

"The last thing I heard is something, I never expected. The day after your parents were murdered, and the Dark Lord was destroyed Sirius was found by another of his and your father's childhood friends.

"He...he accused Sirius of betraying your parents and tried to capture Sirius...., but Sirius killed him along with thirteen Muggles with one curse, he had been a servant of the Dark Lord." as she finished she had tears spilling down her face and she was shaking slightly as the memory of this betrayal dug into her heart. "He betrayed my sister's only son, and forced you to live with muggles because of it.....I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, it wasn't you." he had to keep himself from telling her that it wasn't Sirius either as he looked into her pain filled eyes, and in an attempt to change the mood he moved to a differant topic.

"You said my grandfather was an Auror, what is that?"

She seemed to understand his move and replied in with a grateful smile. "An Auror is a highly trained wizard that works for the Ministry. Their main purpose is to hunt down, and defeat Dark Wizards, as well as discovering any Dark Artifacts that are floating around. They usually handle anything that Hit Wizards can't."

Harry put on a look of wide-eyed amazement. "How do you become an Auror, and what's a Hit Wizard?"

His Great-Aunt got a pensive look on her face as she tried to remember the requirements to become an Auror. "Well if I remember correctly you have to get N.E.W.T.'s in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms and Herbology. It's a very difficult career choice so if you're thinking of following Charlus' path you'll need to study hard. And a Hit Wizard is a watered down version of an Auror." she finished with a dismissive wave of her hand at the thought of Hit Wizards.

"It's late, I should go. Thank you for everything."

Cassiopeia Black looked at Harry with hopeful eyes and said, "I understand, and please...if you have any questions feel free to write."

Harry gave a large smile and said "I will Aunt Cassiopeia, good bye!"

"Good bye Harry." she replied.

oooooooooo

The car ride to King's Cross was filled with an atmosphere that was close to joy as Harry, and the Dursley's thought of the fact that this would be the last time, they would ever have to see each other. Arriving at the station the four of them stood facing one another as they made the agreement, and then seperated with no tears shed. So it was with a joyous heart, and a soaring spirit that Harry walked away from his relatives and walked towards the gate that would grant him access to the Hogwarts Express. But first he had to re-introduce himself to his true family. Stopping next to the platform he waited for the family of redheads to make their appearance, and as he waited his mind drifted off to one of the last conversations he and Ginny had in the Past.

oooooooooo

"You know Harry, when we get back....we're not going to be able to be in Gryffindor." She said this in a clear, whispered voice.

Harry, who had only been listening with a token of interest snapped his head around and peirced her with a stare that clearly said, 'Explain!'

"I've been thinking about this for awhile, and I've realized that it's the only way to keep everybody safe." Her voice which started off softly began to grow in strength as she went on. "We both know that when we get back it's going to be difficult seperating who our friends were with who they will be, do you honestly think you'll be able to be around Ron, and Hermione all the time without telling them everything? I'm not saying that we can't have our friends back, hell...their the reason we're doing this! But, I think we have to distance ourselves from them somewhat."

"But we can train them! Teach them what they need to know!" He had replied, but Ginny had heard the note of desperation in his voice. She knew the cold hand of logic was getting through, but his heart was putting up a fight.

"You think we can teach them what they need to know!" she scoffed, "You think Hermione, the smartest witch we'll ever know, wouldn't realize what was going on? Or that Ron, the boy who thought all Slytherins were evil, just based on their house, would just start learning the Dark Arts? I don't think so, and you know I'm right! Besides, how would you explain your knowledge of Hogwarts, or your disappearances when you go off to take care of Horcruxes or possessed teachers, or whatever else?"

Nodding his head in defeat he said. "I understand."

"Do you, or do I need to make a list for you?"

"Yes, I understand" He said climbing to his feet. "And Ginny?"

"What is it Harry?"

"Your a bitch!" He said sprinting from the room, with Hexes chasing him down.

oooooooooo

Harry was torn from this memory as he caught the voice of Molly Weasley cutting through the crowd. Laughing under his breath when he heard a nearby Muggle ask his friend what a Muggle was, he grabbed his luggage and headed for the platform. Meeting them outside of the gate he stopped Mrs. Weasley from directing anyone into the gate by asking how to enter the magical portal.

"I'll show you!" Ginny said quickly, and before Mrs. Weasley could say anything she had taken his hand, and together they ran onto Platform 9 3/4.

"Time for introductions you think?" Harry asked once they were on the other side of the wall.

"Yeah, we'll act like we've already done it." Ginny said hurriedly as Percy came through, followed quickly by the twins, Ron and finally Molly Weasley herself. All of whom approached the two time travelers.

"Hey everyone, this is Harry. Harry meet Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and my Mum." pointing to each in turn.

"Hello everyone, it's nice to meet you." this was said as he shook everyone's hands.

"Hello Harry, is this your first year?" asked Mrs. Weasley and at his nod she smiled saying, "How wonderful, it's Ron's first year as well."

"Really! That's great, maybe we'll be in the same house." He said, ignoring the warning look in Ginny's eye. "What House do you want?"

At the mention of the Houses Ron looked sick, and taking a look inside of his mind he saw a troll with a club raised high in the air, this had Harry struggling not to burst into laughter. "Gryffindor" came the response.

"Oh, well good luck." Turning to Ginny he said. "Thanks for showing me how to get on the platform."

"Your welcome, I hope you have fun at Hogwarts."

"Thanks," and then putting on a hesitant expression. "Would you mind if I wrote you, while I'm at school?"

"Um, sure." she said putting her head down in an image of perfect shyness.

"Great! I'll talk to you later then," he said in a happy voice, before turning to Mrs. Weasley "It was nice to have met you, ma'am."

"You to Harry." she said smiling down at him. "Best run along now, the train's about to be leaving."

"Oh, right! Well bye again." He said grabbing his things, and running off to start his jouney.


	3. The Philosopher's Stone: Part I

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. And while I may use some lines from the books, which won't be often, I make no claim on them.

A/N- 'Thought' - "Spoken" - _"Parseltongue" - _**Written Text - **

Chapter 3: The Philosopher's Stone: Part I

oooooooooo: The Hogwarts Express - En Route To Hogsmeade Station

Harry had just settled his trunk and Hedwig's cage when he heard the compartment door slide open behind him. Turning around he saw Ron Weasley standing in the doorway looking at him with a nervous look on his face.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" the note of uncertainty was clear to Harry. "Everywhere else is full."

"Sure, it's Ron right?"

"Yeah, Ron Weasley." he said sticking his hand out and introducing himself properly.

Harry grasped his hand, and returned the shake while saying, "Harry Potter."

Ron's bulging eyes had Harry fighting to maintain his composure.

"Are you really? I mean do you have the scar?" When he heard this Harry did laugh as he raised his bangs to let Ron see the legendary feature. "Wow." he said in awe.

With a look of hesitation Ron asked, "So do you remember anything about that night? I mean,...do you remember what He looked like?"

'Did he really just ask that?' Harry was shocked that he would ask such a thing before remembering that in the Past that was a question that Mrs. Weasley had expressly forbidden as she stood outside the train. Of course he only knew that since he had been listening from the window.

"Of course not, do you remember anything from when you were one?" He said, and watched as Ron's face turned red in embarresment. "It's alright though, I'm sure you won't be the only one to ask."

Even with Harry waving the offending question away Ron couldn't seem to come up with a response, but was saved a moment later as the door opened to reveal the identical forms of the Weasley twins.

"Oh, here you are!" Came Fred's exuberant voice.

"We were coming to see that you had settled." George added in a tone that you would expect at a funeral.

"Yes, Ickle Ronniekins, off to Hogwarts at last" Fred's said in an imitation of his mother.

"So proud, so glad, why it makes my heart flutter to see it." George added having abandoned his previous tone.

"What do you two want?" Ron asked in a mulish voice.

"To see you of course!"

"Why George, I don't think our dear brother is to happy to see us." Fred had a wounded look, as he clutched his robe above his heart.

"No he doesn't seem to be does he? You don't think Ginny hexed him do you?" George was now leaning over Ron, peering closely at him as though he would find something wrong.

"Possibly." Fred replied with a thoughtful look. "Nasty temper on that one."

"It is at that brother o' mine." George said before turning to Harry. "Oh, look Fred. It's that Harry boy from earlier!"

"You don't mean the one that asked to write to our dear sister, do you?"

"Indeed I do, but I can't help to wonder." George said with a thoughtful gaze.

"You can't mean," Fred began, before saying in a stage whisper. "you're thinking of warning him!"

"Warning me about what?" Harry asked, laughing at their antics.

His laughter however caused them to give him looks of pity.

"I think we must, he seems to think it a laughing matter." George said with a sigh.

"What's a laughing matter?" Harry asked, 'I am so lost right now!'

The pitying look had returned as they both said. "Ginny's temper!"

Harry bursted into a fit of laughter at that. 'You're preaching to the choir mates.' It took him a few minutes to calm down enough to reply. "Oh, I think it'll be okay."

Both of the twins looked skeptical at this statement before Fred said, "How can you be so sure? Not even family's safe with that one!"

"Because I'm Harry Potter." He said in imitation of Gilderoy Lockhart.

The Twins, obviously thinking he was joking began laughing and turned to leave.

"I don't think they believed you." Ron said looking at the door, the twins had exited through.

Rolling his eyes he could only think. 'Well spotted Ron.'

"No, I don't think so either. Well I'm going to change." Harry said getting up to retrieve his school robes.

Looking away from the door Ron asked, "So what House do you want to be in Harry?"

"Oh, I don't know. They all suit me actually, but if I had to guess I'd say I probably fit into Ravenclaw or Slytherin the best." He responded thoughtfully. "But if I could choose I'd say Gryffindor."

In truth he wanted to be in Gryffindor again. He wanted the security of the known, of being surrounded by the people he had grown up with. But it was a fool's dream, he knew Ginny had been right. He wouldn't be able to do what was necessary if he was in Gryffindor, as much as he hated to admit it, they were just as bigoted as most Slytherins. To them if you used the Dark Arts then you were automatically evil. And they had that foolish idea that if you do use the Dark Arts for an extended period of time that they corrupt you, and that they become addictive like some Muggle drug. It had taken Ron's death to make him put aside that idea, and when he discovered the truth he couldn't believe it. Most of the spells that were termed Dark by the Ministry caused damage true, and needed intent to work, but in truth they were combat spells Stunning Charms were nice and all in a duel, but duels had rules. If you used one in combat though, all you'll have acheived is wasting time because as soon as your attention is elsewhere that enemy you just put down was revived by someone. Dark Lord's and their follower's knew that though, which is why they use the Dark Arts, they know that in order to win their opponents can't be allowed to get back up. Unfortunately the Dark Arts became guilty by association. No his old house just wouldn't do.

Slytherin on the other hand would throw his enemies off, most likely they would think he sympathized with their beliefs and try to recruit him to their cause, plus any of his darker leanings wouldn't be automatically condemned. If anything it would make everything go smoother, he would have constant communication with the scions of many powerful pureblood families, which would allow him to make many useful connections. Over time he could sway those children to his side, and the idea of recruiting from the heart of Voldemort's power-base did have a certain appeal. Unfortunately, it would also add to Dumbledore's worry that he was becoming another Tom Riddle, and that wasn't acceptable. It would also cause the Gryffindor's to automatically believe he was a traitor to the Light and make them believe it was their personal duty to get revenge. That would also put him fully under Snape's control, which wasn't something he desired.

Ravenclaw could aid him in hiding his expansive pool of magical knowledge though, and were also generally accepted by both Gryffindor and Slytherin, which would allow him to recruit from a much broader portion of the school.

Ron however, didn't hear or chose to ignore, the last part of Harry's statement. Instead he asked. "Why would you want to be in Slytherin? Only Dark Wizards are in there!"

"Don't be stupid Ron!" Harry snapped "Did I say I wanted to be in Slytherin? No I didn't, I said I'd fit in there! Because it's the house of cunning, and determination! I'm both! If you would have listened you would have heard me say I'd fit into Ravenclaw also. And just because someone's in Slytherin it doesn't make them evil, It's peoples choices that do that! And if you didn't hear me before I said I'd choose Gryffindor!"

"But if someone's in Slytherin they are evil Harry! You-Know-Who was in Slytherin!" Ron finished with an emphatic nod, as though Voldemort being in Slytherin proved everything.

"You know, if you replace Slytherin with Muggleborn, and evil with unworthy. You sound just like a Death Eater." He said trying to get Ron to see sense, there was a very real possibility he could end up in Slytherin.

"Tha...That's differant." He spluttered indignantly, while shaking his head in denial.

"Okay let's say you're right," said Harry in an annoyed tone. "That means all Gryffindor's are brave and would never go dark right?"

"Of course!" said Ron with the voice conviction, only a child who saw the world in terms of black and white could possess.

"Have you ever heard of Sirius Black?"

"Yeah. Why?" was the confused response.

"He was in Gryffindor." Harry said smoothly. He was determined to make Ron see reason. If he could do this then he could be in Gryffindor!

Ron leapt to his feet, his face had turned the infamous Weasley red, and his fists were clenched to his sides. "No he wasn't!"

"Okay fine, you don't want to believe that. Then how about this," Harry was getting angry, Ron just wasn't listening. " If Gryffindor's are all brave say his name!"

"Who?" Ron asked, but his face had drained of blood so fast that it left splotches of color all over his face.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about. Voldemort!" Harry watched Ron flich at the name. "Say it, come on! He's been gone for ten years, and you can't possibly remember when he was around so it shouldn't be a big deal! Say it!"

Ron just stood there.

"Voldemort!"

Ron fliched again.

"See, you're even afraid to hear it!" Harry said with contempt. "Some Gryffindor you are!"

Ron's eyes widened at this, and he stormed out of the compartment, slamming the door behind him with as much force as he could.

Harry just watched him leave with a sigh, thinking. 'That could have gone better.' Before narrowing his eyes at the cage on the luggage rack.

'Hello Peter' He thought with a malicious grin, as he stood up and walked over to the cage containing the sleeping form of his parent's betrayer. Drawing his wand and aiming between the bars of the cage he cast. 'IMPERIO'

Peter 'Wormtail' Pettigrew didn't even twitch a whisker as he was placed under the Imperius Curse by the most powerful Dark Wizard in the world.

Having successfully placed Wormtail under the Imperius, Harry returned to his seat and began to think how his argument with Ron would affect their relationship, and he had to admit it didn't look good. Yes, he and Ron had been in fights before, but they had already had years of friendship behind them to fall back on. This time they didn't, and if you added the prospect of them being in seperate houses then the situation became dark indeed. It wouldn't help next year when his 'little sister' would arrive and be the best of friends with someone he would most likely hate. There was a possibility that he could make amends, but with Ron's pride as well as his own he doubted it would matter very much. It would be so much easier if he hadn't said that last comment. But damn, Ron was being such an ass. He would try though, for the sake of the Past Ron, and for Ginny. He knew if he wasn't friendly with Ron, then he would try and interfere with them. It wouldn't work of course but it would be annoying. If it did come to that though he would just stand back and watch as Ginny put him in his place, which would naturally be under her heel. And as much as it hurt it would also keep Ron safer. Yes, in the end it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, he would try in memory of the Past though.

So with that portion of his inner monologue done Harry began to look outside the window, taking in the countryside and marveling at it's beauty. It was odd that a seemingly mundane activity could bring such a strong sense of tranquility, that you could take pleasure in the small details of the landscape without the constant worry of an enemy appearing on the horizon, or sneaking up behind you. Knowing that the world was at peace, Harry allowed himself to be captivated by rolling hills and the reflection of light off the streams and rivers they passed, until the feelings of peace lulled him to sleep.

Harry was dreaming about the day he and Ginny had been married. It had been a small affair, there were no large crowds or bands. Only the few members of the resistance who had taken up residence at Grimmauld Place. Terry had done an excellent job of leading the ceremony while Neville, Luna and Draco sat as witnesses. As he picked his bride up and carried her from the room, followed by the cheers of their friends his dream shifted . He and Ginny had been in the master bedroom of Grimmauld Place, the elf-made wine had lain forgotten on the floor, as the candles burned giving off scents of jasmine, and lavender. Ginny lying in the bed with her hair fanning around her like...."We will be arriving in Hogsmeade Station in fifteen minutes." The volume of the conductor's message startled him to awareness.

Harry instantly saw that he wasn't alone in the compartment. So shaking his head to get rid of the fog at the edges of his mind, he focused on the pale form. This was a conversation he was prepared for, his failed attempt with Ron had shown him that he needed to be more circumspect and had illustrated just how different everybody was now than they had been in the Past. If he was to make any progress in this time he would have to control his anger, and choose his words cautiously. Draco Malfoy looked away from the window as he realised Harry was awake.

"Hello, I'm sorry to intrude." He started, not sounding sorry at all. "But I had heard that Harry Potter was in this compartment, so I came to introduce myself."

"There's no need," Harry said straightening himself in his seat. "You're Draco Malfoy." He finished with a smile, and reaching out his hand for the other boy's.

After returning the gesture Draco asked."Yes, how did you know?"

"Great-Aunt Cassiopeia described you perfectly" Harry said with a smirk. 'Arrogant, and pompous!' he added mentally. "I must admit, I was intending to find you before."

"Oh?" he invited the elaboration.

"Yes, Aunt Cassiopeia informed me that we were cousins, and as I can't bring myself to call those horrid Muggles family, I decided that I would meet my true family. Don't you agree?" 'There I've put forth the effort, now it's your turn.'

"Yes, blood should always come first." 'Oh nice use of double meanings, but it'll take more than that to figure me out.'

Harry not wanting to get into the area of blood suprememacy, immediately change the subject to Houses and subjects that they were looking forward to at the school, which was more than enough to get them into Hogsmeade with no difficulties. It was a relieved Harry that watched the young pureblood leave the room, knowing that the conversation he had just had would set the tone for his future dealings with the boy.

oooooooooo: The Great Hall, Hogwarts

As Harry followed his fellow first years into the Great Hall, he only vaguely heard the voices around him talking about the sight of the enchanted ceiling, or the seemingly endless sea of candles floating in the air above the four House tables. As a matter of fact he was one of the few students not gazing around the room in awe, he like those few others was staring at the floor in front of his feet. Unlike those others this wasn't from nervousness, as a pair of twinkling blue eyes sitting at the head table assumed. No that wasn't the case at all, the truth of the matter was he was sending his mind down a link that he had created earlier that day. A link that he was currently sending orders through. After his orders were relayed Harry maintained his vigil of the flagstones in front of him, in order to keep up his charade of nervousness. It wasn't until he heard the Sorting Hat begin it's song, that he dared to look up.

Oh you may not think me pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!  
-J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Harry clapped along with the other student's, but once he was done he hung his head again. For the first time since starting this little trip he was worried. He knew that the Sorting Hat couldn't penetrate his Occlumency, but what if it refused to sort him until he allowed access, or if it saw his defences and immediately sorted him into Slytherin since those were the only students likely to show up with them. And why hadn't he thought of this before? Was it because he was so convinced of his own superiority that he thought everything would just fall in place before him, granting him a nice easy road to victory?

'Yep, got it in one didn't you Harry.' was his thought as he heard McGonagall call,

"Potter, Harry"

The whispers started immediately, and the voices of Fred and George were clearly heard as they yelled, "He wasn't kidding!"

Harry who had up until that point been staring at the floor, projecting an air of nervousness thought to himself. 'Time to give them the Boy-Who-Lived they expect.'

Clenching his fists to his side, squaring his shoulders and raising his head high in a feirce show of courage, and determination he strode forward to find out his fate. As he made his way up to the stool on which the Sorting Hat was resting he saw Dumbledore's beaming smile as he drank in the image of a proud, self-assured and apparently fearless Harry Potter. And then he was wearing the sorting hat.

"My, my...."whispered a voice in his ear. "A student whose mind I can't penetrate, don't see that very often. Not at all..." it trailed off thoughtfully. "You must be exceptionally bright to have fully mastered such an arcane branch of magic, not many adult wizards can do so. But it also shows your ability to keep your secrets your own, a sure sign of cunning if ever there was one. But I think it obvious that you are a true..."

"RAVENCLAW!"

Hearing the announcement there was an uproar of joy from the Ravenclaws, The-Boy-Who-Lived was one of theirs. The reaction from the rest of the assembly was more varied however. As Harry moved over to join his new housemates he took the opportunity to observe the other tables. The Hufflepuffs were claping respectfully, but that was to be expected. The Slytherins were all looking confused, it was obvious that they had expected him to be a Gryffindor. It was this last House that surprised Harry the most though. He had thought they would applaud him along with the Hufflepuffs, but as he surveyed them he noticed that most of them bore looks of betrayal, after all he had defeated the Dark Lord and everyone knew that Gryffindors were fully opposed to the Dark.

Harry put these thoughts aside as he sat down at the Ravenclaw table to wait for the end of the Sorting ceremony. By the end of the ceremony the House of Ravenclaw had received seven new students, Harry took this as an omen of good things to come. During the feast Harry just sat back and observed the interaction of the other three boys. Terry Boot was as hilarious as he was in the Past and he made an effort to drag Harry into the conversations, which he did so as not to appear anti-social. Michael Corner on the other hand was just annoying! He couldn't seem to go more than two minutes without starting a story that inevitably led to how brilliant he was. Anthony Goldstein seemed to be more reserved than the other two, but when he spoke it was with confidence.

'Overall they're a rather well balanced group.' Harry thought to himself.

Once the feast had concluded Dumbledore stood to give the start of term notices. Harry who had heard it all before took the opportunity to send out his commands to Wormtail. He would free Sirius tonight, there was no way the Ministry would be able to ignore the confession of a man in front of hundreds of students and staff. All he needed to do was wait for the perfect moment to present itself, and execute his plan. It didn't take long as Dumbledore concluded his speech and set the stage for the school song, but Harry had different plans.

'NOW' Harry screamed inside his mind, as he forced every bit of willpower he possessed into his mental command. And just as Dumbledore raised his wand to begin a horrible rendition of an even worse song, the doors of the Great Hall burst open with a noise reminiscent of a thunder clap. And in ran Peter Pettigrew who stopped in the middle of the Great Hall, and began to cry out for everyone to hear.

"It was me, Dumbledore! I can't keep the truth hidden any longer! I was the Secret Keeper! I was the spy for the Dark Lord!" Gasps swept the room at this pronouncement, but Harry just watched in expectation as the rat continued.

"I was the reason Gideon, Fabian, and the Bones' were targeted! I betrayed James and Lily!" Harry twisted his face into one of stunned cofusion at this point, and waited for him to finish.

"I'm the one that framed Sirius!" Every eye in the Hall was riveted on Pettigrew. None were capable of moving or speaking as the filthy man standing in front of them admitted to commiting some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. "But you have to understand! The Dark Lord! He had terrible weapons, he was winning! What was there to be gained from resisting him? Nothing!"

Dumbledore had apparently regained his ability to speak and asked one whispered word that was still heard by everyone in the Hall, "Why?"

"Because, I was never good enough, I was always the weakest, the dumbest, the one to be last in everything. And the Dark Lord offered me power! POWER!"

Harry who was sitting at the Ravenclaw Table, felt the rage flooding through him, threatening to overwhelm him. Yes he had put the Imperius on Pettigrew and ordered him to come in and cofess his crimes to a Hall of witnesses, but hearing him saying it was destroying his ability to think rationally. He was just barely keeping his rage in check. Pettigrew needed to be alive to get Sirius released right? But Pettigrew wasn't done yet. No, he had one final thing to say.

"POWER DUMBLEDORE! AGAINST THAT WHAT WERE THE LIVES OF BLOOD-TRAITORS, AND SOME MUDBLOOD BITCH!"

With a scream of rage Harry launched himself to his feet, took two running strides that carried him to the Hufflepuff Table, and had it's occupants diving to get out of his way. Allowing his momentum to help propel him, he jumped onto the table, sending the remains of the feast flying in all directions, and took a massive leap towards Pettigrew. With the knife he didn't even remember having grabbed, glinting in the air as he started to descend towards his target. His intent was clear, he would kill the rat and be done with it. But just as he was starting his downward stroke he saw a red light speeding towards him, and he knew it would reach him before he reached Wormtail. So he forced one last command into the connection before everything went black.

The Great Hall watched in shock as Harry Potter was hit by the Stunning Spell, while apparently trying to kill the man that had just come in claiming to have betrayed his parents to Voldemort. That wasn't the biggest shock though, no that distinction belonged to what happened next. The man, after having just been saved from certain death, dove towards the knife that Potter had dropped, picked it up and yelled a scream so primal everyone shivered at the sound of it. Then he raised the knife to his throat and pulled it across in a sharp gesture, and in the same motion, reversed the blade and plunged it into his stomach in an upward motion causing his entrails to spill to the ground around him.

oooooooooo

Harry woke in familiar settings. The blurred white walls, the coarse texture of linen, and the smell of potions could only mean one thing. The Hospital Wing. Feeling around, he located his glasses and sat up just as the door opened to reveal Albus Dumbledore striding towards him.

"Harry, how are you?" he asked with a grim smile.

"I feel like I've been hit by a bus." Harry responded, with a small smile.

The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes seemed to pick up speed at this statement. "Ah yes, my apologies. I'm afraid I may have been a bit overzealous in my efforts to keep you from commiting murder, however justified it was."

'Murder? WORMTAIL!' eyes widening, Harry snapped his head around to look at the venerable Headmaster. "What happened?" he asked in a hard voice.

"I'm afraid that after your attempt to take the life of Mr. Pettigrew, he decided that you had the right idea and killed himself." Dumbledore said this with a small trace of delight present in his voice. "But let me assure you, that you have no need to worry about any repercussions for your attempt. You were clearly not in control of yourself, though I do advise trying to show more restraint in the future."

Harry masked his face into one of shame while he thought of a way to show Dumbledore that he wasn't another Tom Riddle. Then it came to him.

"Sirius!" Harry suddenly exclaimed. "He was framed, I have to tell Aunt Cassiopeia!"

"Cassiopeia Black?" Dumbledore asked in confusion. "I wasn't aware that you knew her."

Harry smiled broadly, "I met her when I went to Diagon Alley, she's the one that bought all my school supplies, and told me about Sirius. She said she was so proud of him, but then he turned out to be working for Voldemort. But if he was framed she needs to know, she was heart broken about it!" Harry finished in a sad whisper. 'There, now you see that I can care for others.'

"Don't worry Harry, as we speak there are release papers on there way to Azkaban to free Sirius." He informed Harry comfortingly, a reassuring smile gracing his heavily lined features. "This will be the front page article of the Daily Prophet in the morning, so she will know soon enough."

"Great! Do you think I'd be able to see him. I mean he's my Godfather, I could live with him. Well hopefully, that would definately be an easy fix for me...." he said trailing off, hoping to prompt the conversation he knew would be coming.

"Yes, I was planning on waiting until the end of the week to have this conversation, that way you would have time to settle in. But in light of recent events now is as good a time as any." He started with his customary twinkle. Harry took this as a sign that he was reassured Harry wasn't another Voldemort in the making. "Harry, I'd like to know how you knew to break the Blood Wards around your Aunt's house?"

"They broke? You mean I was right?" He asked with a surprised voice.

"Harry, I don't think you realize the scope of the danger you've placed yourself or your family in." He started. "I set those wards up to give you a sanctuary from any who would harm you. As it stands those wards can never be replaced."

"Why? Can't you recast them?" Harry asked already knowing the answer, and the reason why.

"I'm afraid not Harry." He began before patiently explaining. "You see the wards were based off of your mother's sacrifice, and once the wards using that sacrifice are broken they can never be restored."

"But why Professor? I still don't understand" Harry hated to sit and be spoon fed information he was already an expert in, but appearances must be made and maintained.

"It's quite simple really. All magic that is based on blood requires a sacrifice." Harry got the impression that Dumbledore was hesitant to speak about the subject, but he continued anyway. "When wards of this nature are dispelled the sacrifice that powers them is destroyed as well."

Nodding in understanding Harry said, "So the only way you would be able to recast them would be to...." Harry's eyes widened in horror.

"Yes Harry, I see that you understand. That is the reason most Blood Magic is considered to be one of the most heinous of acts of Dark Magic." He said severely, "Though when your mother sacrificed herself, it was a willing act of love. And that created a force that no Dark Magic could ever break."

"Love" Harry whispered under his breath.

Dumbledore smiled when he heard this. "Yes, love is by far the most powerful magic in this world. But I should be letting you get some rest, it's been a trying day for you and you must rest for tomorrow."

As he was leaving Dumbledore could only think how misplaced his fears had been. Madame Pomfrey came out of her office ten minutes later and released him after another quick diagnostic. Once she had confirmed everything was in working order she escorted him to Ravenclaw Tower and gave him access to the common room. Harry then found the door designating the first year dormitory, climbed into his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

oooooooooo

The next morning at breakfast Harry recieved his schedule from Professor Flitwick, and with a groan of frustration saw that his first class was to be Double Potions with the Hufflepuffs. He couldn't help but wonder what Professor Snape would be like this time around. He knew that Snape would be impressed with his knowledge, but would that be enough to keep the man from finding some way to belittle him?

'Probably not.' Harry thought sourly, 'I look to much like my father.' But would the fact that he wasn't in Gryffindor make Snape less likely to believe he wasn't like James Potter, but more like his mother? He didn't know, but he had two hours to find out. So with that 'comforting' thought in mind he quickly finished his meal and went to collect his potion supplies. Just as he was leaving the hall however the owl post arrived, and the largest eagle owl he had ever seen swooped down towards him at such a fast speed that he had to fight the urge to draw his wand and blast it from the sky. Instead he settled for jumping out of the way as the bird, talons outstretched tried to land where his shoulder had been moments before. The owl having had his landing perch suddenly removed only recovered an instant before slamming into the ground, flew to the spot he had just vacated and started screeching in a tone that clearly said 'What's wrong with you?' before sticking his leg out and turning his head away from Harry.

'This ruddy bird's crazy!' Harry thought as he withdrew the letter, only to jerk his hand away as the owl tried to bite him, before taking flight. Shaking his head at the owl's actions he opened the letter and felt joy explode inside his heart.

**Harry,**

**I've been informed that you're aware of who I am, and that I'm your Godfather. That said I would like to get a chance to speak with you. I have spoken with Dumbledore and he has agreed that it would be best if I wait for you to get settled before I meet you. There are a few legal matters that I must attend to, but if it's fine by you Dumbledore has agreed that I can visit on Saturday. If this is acceptable then I will see you Saturday. If not, then please send a reply suggesting a better date for you. **

**-Sirius Black**

Harry quickly wrote a reply and turned to tie it to the owl, only to realize that it had flown off earlier. Well, he could always send it off with a school owl this afternoon when he sent his letter to Ginny with Hedwig. But first he had classes and he still had to grab his things, glancing at his watch he saw that he would have to hurry if he wanted to make it on time. Being late to his first class with Snape certainly wouldn't endear him to the man, so he set off at a trot taking every secret passage he knew to make sure he got there on time. He shouldn't have even bothered though.

Professor Severus Snape opened the door to the potions lab to let in his first class of term, only to see one student in the hall. A student that fiiled him with disgust as he took in his appearance.

"Potter! Where are your classmates?" He snapped at the miniature replica of his hated enemy.

Harry though had no intentions of being baited, or intimidated. "I don't know sir. I came down early, I can't wait to learn about potions!" He said with so much enthusiasm that Snape felt ill.

Snape didn't respond except to move out of the doorway and gesture impatiently for him to enter. Harry immediately took a seat in the middle of the classroom, as much as he knew sitting in the front would annoy Snape, he didn't want to be right next to the foul tempered man. After another five minute wait the missing Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs came rushing into the room, out of breath and noticibly worried about Snape's reaction. The Professor waited until they were all settled before saying in a deathly quiet voice.

"I think five points deduced from each of you should be sufficient to stress the importance of being prompt." He said this looking at Harry, who immediately knew he had been counted as well. "And if any of you are late for my class again..." He said triling off with the threat hanging in the air.

"Now that you have decided to grace my classroom with your presence, we shall begin with the roll." And so he began, Harry was wondering if he would single him out again and waited with a kind of eager pessimism. He didn't have to wait long as Snape finally reached. "Harry Potter...our newest celebrity." Before adding with a glare. "You will most likely be favoured by the other teachers here Potter, but rest assured you will receive no such treatment here!" He then turned his attention back to the parchment in his hands and continued until he reached the last name on the list. Stopping only to set the roll down, he launched into his lecture.

"I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that flow through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses." He began in no more than a whisper, the classroom was silent every student hanging on to his every word. "I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, or even stop death." He couldn't seem to stop himself from adding. "That is providing you aren't as inept, as those I usually have to deal with."

After the celebrity jibe Harry knew what to expect next, "Potter!" Snape snapped from his position at the front of the classroom.

Harry just acted like he didn't hear the loathing in his voice and replied, "Yes Professor?"

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel, to an infusion of wormwood?"

"The Draught of the Living Death sir, it's the most powerful sleeping potion there is." There was an excited tone in Harry's voice.

"Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" He asked intent on seeing how much Harry had truly studied.

"The stomach of a goat sir."

"And what is the differance between monkshood and aconite?"

"Nothing sir, it's the same plant. Muggle's call it aconite as well." Harry said happily.

Snape was looking impressed, grudgingly but still impressed. "And what is the twelfth use of dragon's blood?"

"It's twelfth use is an oven cleaner sir."

Snape chose not to acknowledge the correct answer though and just moved on with the lecture, "You will turn to page six and read the theory of making a simple Boil-Curing Potion, which we will brew in the last hour of class."

By the last half hour of class almost every student in the classroom had made enough minor mistakes that Snape, was moving through the room with his robes billowing in a manner that reflected his fury. This had the unfortunate side effect of terrifying the students so much that by the end of the lesson six different cauldron's had melted and two more had exploded. The only good thing to come from this was that, when Harry turned in his completed potion Snape seemed almost grateful that someone in the class could brew. Not that he said anything to Harry about his success, on the contrary he just continued to ignore him as though he wasn't there.

According to the schedule Thursday morning was the first day that Ravenclaw would share classes with Gryffindor. In the morning it was Transfiguration with Charms in the afternoon, it would also be the first time Harry would see Ron since their argument on the train. He had tried to find the redheaded boy during the week, in order to apologize to him but he had met with failure. He knew the longer it took to at least make an attempt to reconcile their differences the less likely he would be at succeeding. Harry finished his meal quickly and headed in the direction of the Transfiguration classroom, with the hopes that Ron would be sensible.

"Hey Ron." He said to the approaching boy. "I.."

"What do you want Potter?" He snapped. 'Well it's understandable, I did imply he was a coward.'

"I just wanted to apologize for what I said, it was rude and uncalled for."

"So you think saying sorry's going to make it better?" Ron replied snidely.

"No but I was hoping we could start over, you know?" 'Damn I suck at this!'

Ron just looked at him as if he had grown an extra head before saying, "And why would I want to start over? You've already made it clear you're a Slytherin sympathizer!"

"A what?"

"You heard, you're just as bad as them!" He screamed, waving his hand in the air.

Harry just looked at him with contempt. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't try to deny it!" Pointing his finger at Harry he screamed. "You wanted to be in Slytherin! You beat You-Know-Who so you could take his place!"

Harry couldn't help it, he just started laughing uncontrollably, he kept laughing until he heard Ron scream.

"What are you laughing about? You think it's funny! See he doesn't deny it!" Ron's face had now turned an interesting shade of magenta.

"No I just think it's funny how ridiculously stupid that was." He said wiping tears from his eyes.

"Don't try and play innocent Potter, I've already told everyone about you!" Ron yelled, "I wrote home too. So my Mum and sister know to!"

"Wow, you really are stupid." Came Harry's patronizing voice.

"Who are you calling stupid Potter?" Ron yelled, pointing his wand at Harry.

"Here's your one chance, put your wand away!" Harry said in a hard voice. As he saw the door behind Ron open.

"It's time you learned your place Potter!" Ron shreiked, but a moment later his face lost all color as he heard.

"What is going on here?" Professor McGonagall's lips were set into a firm line, as her eyes burned holes into Ron's head.

"Potter's trying to take over from You-Know-Who!" He said stupidly, while Harry just shook his head and shrugged at her gaze.

"You two will stay after class, but right now everyone inside." She said before waving them in.

oooooooooo

'There's no way I could have had this conversation before.' He thought to himself as Hermione Granger continued to speak. She like hike him had arrived ten minutes before class was due to start, and had introduced herself before starting a discussion on the theory behind their earlier assignment in Transfiguration. After about five minutes their topic shifted to how the intent of the caster, played a crucial role in performing the effect of the spell. They had only just started though, when they were interrupted by Ron.

"Potter! You got me detention!" he said with a glare before turning his eyes to Hermione. "What are you doing here?"

"She's having an intelligent conversation Ron." Harry replied cooly, cutting off whatever response Hermione had. "A concept that's foreign to you I'm sure."

With a scream of rage Ron pulled his wand and yelled, "Tarantallegra"

Harry seeing the Jelly-Legs Jinx flying towards him calmly stepped to the side, while raising his own wand, "Everte Statum"

Everyone watched as Ron was thrown through the air, before landing with a thud. Rolling over from his position on the ground Ron drew his wand back to cast again, only to have his wand pulled from his grasp as a voice said, "Expelliarmus"

After catching Ron's wand Harry walked casually to Ron's semi-prone form. 'Time to use his own insecurities for his benefit.' Harry thought.

"What was that Ron?" came Harry's contemptuous voice. "I'll tell you, it was pathetic! You'll never be able to beat me, you could study all year while I just sat back and relaxed and you'd still be second best." Seeing his face darken Harry thought, 'Good, maybe he'll apply himself in an effort to beat me.' "Although from what I hear you couldn't even claim tenth much less second. And it's true isn't it? You're one of those people who thinks they can just sit back and the answers will come to you, well good luck." He finished as he threw Ron's wand down the corridor. "Fetch."

"Harry, why did you say all those things to Ron?" Hermione asked when he reached her side.

"Because I hate ignorance and the only way to make him see reason, and try to improve is to make him take personal offense." Harry explained quietly. "I don't like saying those things, but if it forces him to try harder, and makes him become a better student then I'll have accomplished something." 'Like making him better prepared.' he added silently.

"But you can get in trouble, duelling is against the rules!" She said looking worried.

"It is, but if it makes Ron do better, then it'll have been worth it." He said looking at her. "Sometimes you have to go against the rules, if you want to accomplish a greater good. And I think this is one of those occasions.

Hermione looked obviously torn between accepting his logic, or going with the established belief that rules were inviolable no matter the circumstance. In the end she settled the matter by saying. "I can see your point, but that doesn't mean you should disregard the rules."

Smiling at her internal compromise he said, "No it doesn't."

By the end of the week Harry's grasp of theoretical knowledge and skill in practical application of magic had the teachers raving in the Staff Room. In Transfiguration he had managed to finish almost ten muntes ahead of the only other student to complete the assignment. He had even gotten into an impromptu discussion with Professor Flitwick over the charms theory they had been studying. Even Snape had to admit that he seemed to be an 'Acceptable' potions brewer. Harry was seen in the library constantly searching the shelves, and spending hours pouring through them. All in all, he was the perfect Ravenclaw.

oooooooooo

'Nothing!' Harry thought viciously, while staring at the book in front of him. He had spent the entire week so far searching for a book on Wandless Magic and had so far come up short. He knew that there had to be a book somewhere that held the information he desired, he also knew that it couldn't be in the Restricted Section they only kept books that contained dangerous knowledge. Glancing at his watch again to check the time, he saw that he had five more minutes before he needed to leave. It was Saturday and he had his meeting with Sirius in the Headmaster's Office.

'Well, it's not like I'll accomplish anything in the next five minutes.' He thought before standing and heading to the meeting. As he walked down the nearly desrted hallways he was lost in thought. Not on the upcoming meeting with Sirius, but on the tasks he needed to accomplish. He knew that as long as Quirrel was here there was no way he could make a move on the Diadem, if Voldemort decided to check up on it and found it to be missing then the game was up. He had already dismissed the idea of killing him outright as he was sure that his defeat of him and Voldemort was what solidified Dumbledore's trust in him in the Past. He planned on getting the Stone before that meeting though, that would give him the added insurance of victory, just in case Quirrel got lucky. Unfortunately, he had no idea where it was currently located which meant he would have to wait for Dumbledore to place it in the Mirror. He had tried to go to the third floor earlier that morning on the off chance that it was already there. Fate it seemed had been against him as Mrs. Norris seemed to know he was there and alerted Filch. He had managed to avoid detection because of his Disillusionment Charm, but Mrs. Norris had his scent now and any time he would approach Filch was called keeping him from entering the room.

'God I hate that cat!' Harry thought as he approached the Gargoyle protecting the Headmaster's Office. Then as he began to climb the stairs he got a wicked smile on his face.

'Manasa just got her first assignment.'


End file.
